NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 29 



trivialis, or rather perhaps of the Motacilla trochilus) still 

 continues to make a sibilous shivering noise in the tops of 

 tall woods. The stoparola of Ray (for which we have as 

 yet no name in these parts) is called in your zoology the fly- 

 catcher. There is one circumstance characteristic of this 

 bird which seems to have escaped observation, and that is, 

 it takes its stand on the top of some stake or post, from 

 whence it springs forth on its prey, catching a fly in the air, 

 and hardly ever touching the ground, but returning still to 

 the same stand for many times together. 



I perceive there are more than one species of the 

 Motacilla trochilus. Mr. Derham supposes, in Hay's Pkilos. 

 Letters, that he has discovered three. In these there is 

 again an instance of some very common birds that have as 

 yet no English name. 



Mr. Stillingfleet makes a question whether the blackcap 

 (Motacilla atricapilla) be a bird of passage or not : I think 

 there is no doubt of it : for, in April, in the first fine 

 weather, they come trooping all at once, into these parts, 

 but are never seen in the winter. They are delicate 

 songsters. 



Numbers of snipes breed every summer in some moory 

 ground on the verge of this parish. It is very amusing to 

 see the cock bird on wing at that time, and to hear his 

 piping and humming notes, 



I have had no opportunity yet of procuring any of those 

 mice which I mentioned to you in town. The person that 

 brought me the last says they are plenty in harvest, at 

 which time I will take care to get more ; and will endeavour 

 to put the matter out of doubt, whether it be a nondescript 

 species or not. 



I suspect much there may be two species of water-rats. 

 Ray says, and Linnaeus after him, that the water-rat is web- 



