OF SELBORNE. 103 



migrations, by reason of vast oceans, cross winds, &c. ; 

 because, if we reflect, a bird may travel from England to 

 the equator without launching out and exposing itself to 

 boundless seas, and that by crossing the water at Dover, 

 and again at Gibraltar. And I with the more confidence 

 advance this obvious remark, because my brother has 

 always found that some of his birds, and particularly the 

 swallow kind, are very sparing of their pains in crossing 

 the Mediterranean; for when arrived at Gibraltar, they 

 do not, 



" Ranged in figure wedge their way, 



and set forth 



Their airy caravan high over seas 

 Flying, and over lands with mutual wing 

 Easing their flight." MILTOX. 



but scout and hurry along in little detached parties of six 

 or seven in a company; and sweeping low, just over the 

 surface of the land and water, direct their course to tho 

 opposite continent db the narrowest passage they can find: 

 They usually slope across the bay to the south-west, and go 

 pass over opposite to Tangier, which, it seems, is the nar- 

 rowest space. 



In former letters we have considered whether it was 

 probable that woodcocks in moonshiny nights cross the 

 German ocean from Scandinavia. As a proof that birds of 

 less speed may pass that sea, considerable as it is, I shall 

 relate the following incident, which, though mentioned to 

 have happened so many years ago, was strictly matter of 

 fact : As some people were shooting in the parish of 

 Trotton, in the county of Sussex, they killed a duck in 

 that dreadful winter, 1708-9, with a silver collar about its 

 neck, 1 on which were engraven the arms of the king of 

 Denmark. This anecdote the rector of Trotton at that 

 time has often told to a near relation of mine ; and, to the 

 best of my remembrance, the collar was in the possession of 

 the rector. 2 



1 I have read a like anecdote of a swan. G. W. 



2 We suspect that this bird was a cormorant, anrl that the rector of 



