rapid, that he cannot well ascertain their key. Per- 

 haps in a cage, and in a room, their notes may be 

 more distinguishable. This person has tried to settle 

 the notes of a swift, and of several other 

 small birds, but cannot bring them to 

 any criterion. 



As I have often remarked 

 that redwings are some of the 

 first birds that suffer with us in 

 severe weather, it is no won- 

 der at all that they retreat 

 from Scandinavian winters : and 

 much more the ordo of grallce 

 which, all to a bird, forsake the 

 northern parts of Europe at the 

 approach of winter. " Grallas tan- 

 quam conjuratae unanimiter in fugam se conjiciunt ; 

 ne earum unicam quidem inter nos habitantem inve- 

 nire possimus; ut enim asstate in australibus degere 

 nequeunt ob defectum lumbricorum, terramque sic- 

 cam ; ita nee in frigidis ob eandem causam," says 

 Ekmarck the Swede, in his ingenious little treatise 



A redwing. 



vation, however, seeing it is the subject of an epigram in the scarce black 

 letter, "Epigrams of John Heywood," dated 1587: — 



" Use maketh maistry, this hath been said alway ; 

 But all is not alway as all men do say. 

 In April, the koocoo can sing her song by rote, 

 In June of tune she cannot sing a note : 

 At first koocoo, koocoo, sing still can she do ; 

 At last kooke, kooke, kooke, six kookes to one coo." 

 167 



