298 OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



The legs of the colymbi and mergi are placed so very back- 

 ward, and so out of all centre of gravity, that these birds cannot 

 walk at all. They are called by Linnaeus compedes, because 

 they move on the ground as if shackled or fettered.* 



STONE-CURLEW. On the twenty-seventh of February, 

 1788, stone-curlews were heard to pipe ; and on March first, 

 after it was dark, some were passing over the village, as might 

 be perceived by their quick short note, which they use in their 

 nocturnal excursions by way of watch-word, that they may not 

 stray and lose their companions. 



Thus we see, that retire whithersoever they may in the 

 winter, they return again early in the spring, and are, as it now 

 appears, the first summer birds that come back. Perhaps the 

 mildness of the season may have quickened the emigration of 

 the curlews this year. 



They spend the day in high elevated fields and sheep-walks ; 

 but seem to descend in the night to streams and meadows, 

 perhaps for water, which their upland haunts do not afford 

 them.f 



"* These accurate and ingenious observations, tending to set forth in a 

 proper light the wonderful works of God in the creation, and to point 

 out his wisdom in adapting the singular form and position of the limbs 

 of this bird to the particular mode in which it is destined to pass the 

 greatest part of its life, in an element much denser than the air, do Mr 

 White credit, not only as a naturalist, but as a man and as a philosopher, 

 in the truest sense of the word, in my opinion ; for, were we enabled to 

 trace the works of Nature minutely and accurately, we should find, not 

 only that every bird, but every creature, is equally well adapted to the 

 purpose for which it was intended ; though this fitness and propriety of 

 form is more striking in such animals as are destined to any uncommon 

 mode of life. 



I have had in my possession two birds, which, though of a different 

 genus, bear a great resemblance to Mr White's colymbus, in their manner 

 of life, which is spent chiefly in the water, where they swim and dive 

 with astonishing rapidity ; for which purpose, their fin-toed feet, placed 

 far behind, and very short wings, are particularly well adapted, and shew 

 the wisdom of God in the creation as conspicuously as the bird before 

 mentioned. These birds were the greater and lesser crested grebe, 

 (podiceps cristatus et auritus. ) What surprised me most was, that the 

 first of these birds was found alive on dry ground, about seven miles from 

 the sea, to which place there was no communication by water. How 

 did it get so far from the sea, its wings and legs being so ill adapted either 

 to flying or walking ? The lesser crested grebe was also found in a fresh 

 water pond, which had no communication with other water, at some miles 

 distance from the sea. MARKWICK. 



f On the thirty-first of January, 1792, I received a bird of this species, 

 which had been recently killed by a neighbouring farmer, who said that 



