OF NATURAL HISTORY. 485^ 



Moft foft-billed birds feed upon infeds, and not on grain or feeds; 

 and, therefore, they retire before winter. But the following foft- 

 billed birds, though they eat infeds, remain with us during the 

 whole year ; fuch as the red-breaft and wren, who frequent out- 

 houfes and gardens during the winter, and eat fpiders, &c. ; the 

 hedge- fparrow, who frequents finks for crumbs and other fweep- 

 ings ; the white wagtail, the yellow wagtail, and the gray wagtail, 

 who frequent fhallow rivulets near the fpring heads, where the wa- 

 ter feldom freezes, and feed upon the aureliae of infedts ; the wheat- 

 ear, fome of which are to be feen during the winter, 8cc. 



Lijl of Winter Birds of Taffage in the neighbourhood of Selborne. 



1. The ring-oufel. This bird appears about Michaelmas week, 

 and is a new migration lately difcovered by Mr White. 



2. The red-wing, or wind-thrufh, appears in Britain about old 

 Michaelmas. They come in great flocks from the frozen regions of 

 the north. 



3. Field-fare. Thefe birds vifit Britain in immenfe numbers 

 about Michaelmas, and depart about the end of February, or the 

 beginning of March. They pafs the fumraer in the northern parts 

 of Europe, and likewife in Lower Auftria *. They breed in the 

 largeft trees, feed on berries of all kinds f, but prefer ihofe of the 

 juniper. It is probable that the field-fares which migrate into Bri- 

 tain come from Norway and the northern regions of Europe, be- 



caufe 



* Kramer Elench. psg. 36!. ■ 

 t Linn. Faun. Suec. fp. 78,. 



