272 OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



up a number of grains which are shaken from the sheaves by the 

 agitation of the carriages. Thus, when my brother used to take down 

 his gun to shoot sparrows, his cats would run out before him, to be 

 ready to catch up the birds as they fell* 



The earnest and early propensity of the gallinae to roost on high is 

 very observable ; and discovers a strong dread impressed on their spirits 

 respecting vermin that may annoy them on the ground during the 

 hours of darkness. Hence poultry, if left to themselves and not 

 housed, will perch the winter through on yew-trees and fir-trees ; and 

 turkeys and guinea fowls, heavy as they are, get up into apple-trees ; 

 pheasants also in woods sleep on trees to avoid foxes ; while pea-fowls 

 climb to the tops of the highest trees round their owner's house for 

 security, let the weather be ever so cold or blowing. Partridges, it is 

 true, roost on the ground, not having the faculty of perching; but 

 then the same fear prevails in their minds ; for through apprehension 

 from pole-cats and stoats, they never trust themselves to coverts, but 

 nestle together in the midst of large fields, far removed from hedges 

 and coppices, which they love to haunt in the day, and where at that 

 season they can skulk more secure from the ravages of rapacious birds. 



As to ducks and geese, their awkward splay web-feet forbid them to 

 settle on trees : they therefore, in the hours of darkness and danger, 

 betake themselves to their own element the water, where amidst large 

 lakes and pools, like ships riding at anchor, they float the whole night 

 long in peace and security. WHITE. 



Guinea fowls not only roost on high, but in hard weather resort, even 

 in the daytime, to the very tops of the highest trees. Last winter, 

 when the ground was covered with snow, I discovered all my guinea 

 fowls, in the middle of the day, sitting on the highest boughs of some 

 very tall elms, chattering and making a great clamour : I ordered them 

 to be driven down lest they should be frozen to death in so elevated a 

 situation, but this was not effected without much difficulty ; they being 

 very unwilling to quit their lofty abode, notwithstanding one of them 

 had its feet so much frozen that we were obliged to kill it. I know not 

 how to account for this, unless it was occasioned by their aversion to 

 the snow on the ground, they being birds that come originally from a 

 hot climate. 



Notwithstanding the awkward splay web-feet (as Mr. White calls 

 them) of the duck genus, some of the foreign species have the power 

 of settling on the boughs of trees apparently with great ease ; an 

 instance of which I have seen in the Earl of Ashburnham's menagerie, 

 where the summer duck, anas sponsa, flew up, and settled on the branch 

 of an oak-tree in my presence : but whether any of them roost on trees 

 in the night, we are not informed by any author that I am acquainted 

 with.f I suppose not, but that, like the rest of the genus, they sleep on 



* Since railways have been introduced, crows (common rooks) assemble along 

 the line to pick up the pieces of grease that fall from the carriage wheels. 



t Several ducks are of arboreal habits, perch aud roost upon trees and make 

 their nest in hollows or in appropriate situations among the large branches. The 

 common wild-duck has been known to breed in a pollard willow. 



