284 OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



like the bats, are come forth to collect a little food ] Bats appear at 

 all seasons through the autumn and spring months, when the ther- 

 mometer is at 50, because then phalaenae and moths are stirring. 

 These swallows looked like young ones. WHITE. 



Of their migration the proofs are such as will scarcely admit of a 

 doubt. Sir Charles Wager and Captain Wright saw vast flocks of them 

 at sea, when on their passage from one country to another. Our author, 

 Mr. White, saw what he deemed the actual migration of these birds, 

 and which he has described at p. 184 of his " History of Selborne ; " and 

 of their congregating together on the roofs of churches and other 

 buildings, and on trees, previous to their departure, many instances 

 occur ; particularly I once observed a large stock of house-martins on 

 the roof of the church here at Catsfield, which acted exactly in the 

 manner here described by Mr. White, sometimes preening their feathers 

 and spreading their wings to the sun, and then flying off all together, 

 but soon returning to their former situation. The greatest part of 

 these birds seemed to be young ones. MARKWICK. 



WAGTAILS. 



While the cows are feeding in the moist low pastures, broods of 

 wagtails, white and gray, run round them, close up to their noses, and 

 under their very bellies, availing themselves of the flies that settle on 

 their legs, and probably finding worms and larvce that are roused by 

 the trampling of their feet. Nature is such an economist, that the most 

 incongruous animals can avail themselves of each other ! 



Interest makes strange friendships. WHITE. 



Birds continually avail themselves of particular and unusual circum- 

 stances to procure their food ; thus wagtails keep playing about the 

 noses and legs of cattle as they feed, in quest of flies and other insects 

 which abound near those animals ; and great numbers of them will 

 follow close to the plough to devour the worms, &c., that are turned up 

 by that instrument. The red-breast attends the gardener when digging 

 his borders; and will, with great familiarity and tameness, pick out 

 the worms, almost close to his spade, as I have frequently seen. 

 Starlings and magpies very often sit on the backs of sheep and deer to 

 pick out their ticks. MARKWICK. 



WRYNECK. 



These birds appear on the grass-plots and walks ; they walk a little 

 as well as hop, and thrust their bills into the turf, in quest, I conclude, 

 of ants, which are their food. While they hold their bills in the grass, 

 they draw out their prey with their tongues, which are so long as to be 

 coiled round their heads. WHITE. 



