164 MIGRATING BIRDS. 



berland and Scotland, but also, as I have been 

 always told, Devonshire and Cornwall. In those 

 two last counties we cannot attribute the failure 

 of them to the want of warmth : the defect in 

 the west is rather a presumptive argument that 

 these birds come over to us from the continent at 

 the narrowest passage, and do not stroll so far 

 westward. 



Let me hear from your own observation whethe. 

 skylarks do not dust. I think they do : and if they 

 do, whether they wash also. 



The alauda pratensis of Ray was the poor dupe 

 that was educating the booby of a cuckoo men- 

 tion in my letter of October last 1 . 



Your letter came too late for me to procure 

 a ringousel for Mr. Tunstal during their autumnal 

 visit ; but I will endeavour to get him one when 

 they call on us again in April. I am glad that you 

 and that gentleman saw my Andalusian birds ; 

 I hope they answered your expectation. Royston, 

 or grey crows, are winter birds that come much 

 about the same time with the woodcock : they, 

 like the fieldfare and redwing, have no apparent 

 reason for migration ; for, as they fare in the 

 winter like their congeners, so might they, in all 

 appearance, in the summer 2 . Was not Tenant, 

 when a boy, mistaken ? Did he not find a missel- 

 thrush's nest, and take it for the nest of a field- 

 fare ? 



The stock-dove, or wood-pigeon, cenas Raii, 



1 Letter VII. Part II. 



2 The Royston crow breeds, and is stationary, on all 

 the west coast of Scotland ; and it is probable that most 

 of those which visit England during winter, arrive from 

 Sweden and Norway, or the countries adjacent, few, if 

 any, of the Scotch individuals leaving their regular abodes. 

 W. J. 



