394 APPENDIX. VII. 



two first continue on our shores the whole year. 

 The Gannet disperses itself all round the seas 

 of Great Britain, in pursuit of the Herring 

 and Pilchard, and even as far as the Tagus to 

 prey on the Sardina. 



But of the numerous species of fowl here 

 enumerated, it may be observed how very few 

 entrust themselves to us in the breeding sea- 

 son ; and what a distant flight they make 

 to perform the first great dictate of nature. 

 There seems to be scarcely any but what we 

 have traced to Lapland, a country of lakes, 

 rivers, swamps and alps,* covered with thick 

 and gloomy forests, that afford shelter during 

 summer to these fowls, which in winter disperse 

 over the greatest part of Europe. In those 

 arctic regions, by reason of the thickness of the 

 -'- woods, the ground remains moist and pene- 



trable to the Woodcocks, and other slender bill- 

 ed fowl: and for the web-footed birds, f the 

 water affords larvcB innumerable of the tor- 



* J'/ora i«^/)omca Lectori in Proleg. 



f A disciple o? Linnceus, speaks thus of their food : Lappania, 

 ubi rictum ex larvis et pupis culicum, altrix paravit numinis 

 munificentia. Amcen. acad. IV. 1. 5. M. de Maupertuis 

 makes the same observation, Ce ruisseau nous conduisit a un lac 

 si rempli de petits grains jaunatres de la grosseur du Mil que toute 

 son eau en etoit teinte. Je pris ces grains pour la Chrysalide de 

 quelque insecte, &c. CEuvres de M. de Maupertuis, III. Il6. 



