3iO OBSERVATIONS ON 



seasons through the autumn and spring months, when the 

 thermometer is at 50, because then moths, Phalcence, are 

 stirring. 



These swallows looked like young ones. 1 



WAGTAILS. 



WHILE the cows are feeding in moist low pastures, broods 

 of wagtails, white and gray, 7 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 larvae that are roused by the trampling of their 

 feet. Nature is such an oeconomist, that the most incon- 

 gruous animals can avail themselves of each other ! Interest 

 makes strange friendships. 3 



WRYNECK. 



THESE birds appear on the grassplots and walks : they walk 

 a little as well as hop, and thrust their bills into the turf, in 



1 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 in his History of Selborne, [see Letter XXIII. to 

 Pennant, p. 78. ED.] 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 flock 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. MARK WICK. 



2 This is the bird previously called the yellow wagtail in Letter XIII. 

 to Pennant. See page 47, note 4. ED. 



3 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 redbreast attends the gardener when digging his bor- 

 ders, 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. 



