Woodlark, Alauda arhorea. Suspended in mid air. 



Less reed-sparrow, I ^^^^^^ arundina- \ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^ju^^,^ 

 [ ceus minor. J 



I should now proceed to such birds as continue to 

 sing after Midsummer, but, as they are rather numer- 

 ous, they would exceed the bounds of this paper; be- 

 sides, as this is now the season for remarking on that 

 subject, I am willing to repeat my observations on 

 some birds concerning the continuation of whose 

 song I seem at present to have some doubt. 



Selborne, June 30, 1769. 



[As one of my neighbours was traversing Wolmer 

 Forest from Bramshot, across the moors, he found a 

 large uncommon bird fluttering in the heath, but not 

 wounded, which he brought home alive. On exam, 

 ination it proved to be Colymbiis glacialis^ Linn., the 

 great speckled diver or loon, which is most excel- 

 lently described in '' Willughby's Ornithology." 



Every part and proportion of this bird is so in- 

 comparably adapted to its mode of life, that in no in- 

 stance do we see the wisdom of God in the creation 

 to more advantage. The head is sharp, and smaller 

 than the part of the neck adjoining, in order that it 

 may pierce the water ; the wings are placed forward 

 and out of the centre of gravity, for a purpose which 

 shall be noticed hereafter ; the thighs quite at the 

 podex, in order to facilitate diving ; and the legs are 



flat, and as sharp backwards almost as the edge of a 



102 



