again ; sometimes in the first week of November, 

 and that only for one day. Do they not withdraw 

 and slumber in some hiding-place during the inter- 

 val ? for we cannot suppose they had migrated to 

 warmer climes, and returned again for one day. Is 

 it not more probable that they are awakened from 

 sleep, and like the bats are come forth to collect 

 a little food? These swallows looked like young 

 ones."] 



A little yellow bird (the Motacilla trochilus) still 

 continues to make a sibilous shivering noise in the 

 tops of tall woods. The stoparola of Ray is called, 

 in your Zoology, the fly-catcher. There is one cir- 

 cumstance 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 which visits us. Mr. Derham supposes, in 

 Ray's '' Philos. 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 atricapillci) 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 



38 



