324 OBSERVATIONS ON 



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 Gallince 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 apprehensions 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 ravage^ 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 arid 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. 1 



1 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 ele- 

 vated 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. [As to the effect of the glare of snow on poultry, see Letter 

 LXII. to Daines Barrrington, p. 303. ED.] 



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

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



