OF SELBORNE 61 



which is the most examined. Several birds, which are 

 said to belong to the north only, are, it seems, often in 

 the south. I have discovered this summer three species 

 of birds with us, which writers mention as only to be seen 

 in the northern counties. The first that was brought me 

 (on the 14th of May) was the sandpiper, tringa hgpoleucus : 

 it was a cock bird, and haunted the banks of some ponds 

 near the village ; and, as it had a companion, doubtless 

 intended to have bred near that water. Besides, the 

 owner has told me since, that, on recollection, he has 

 seen some of the same birds round his ponds in former 

 summers. 



The next bird that I procured (on the 21st of May) 

 was a male red-backed butcher bird, lanius collurio. My 

 neighbour, who shot it, says that it might easily have 

 escaped his notice, had not the outcries and chattering 

 of the white-throats and other small birds drawn his 

 attention to the bush where it was : its craw was filled 

 with the legs and wings of beetles. 



The next rare birds (which were procured for me last 

 week) were some ring-ousels, turdi torquali. 



This week twelve months a gentleman from London, 

 being with us, was amusing himself with a gun, and 

 found, he told us, on an old yew hedge where there 

 were berries, some birds like blackbirds, with rings of 

 white round their necks : a neighbouring farmer also at 

 the same time observed the same ; but, as no specimens 

 were procured little notice was taken. I mentioned this 

 circumstance to you in my letter of November the 4th, 

 1767 : (you, however, paid but small regard to what I 

 said, as I had not seen these birds myself :) but last 

 week, the aforesaid farmer, seeing a large flock, twenty or 

 thirty of these birds, shot two cocks and two hens : and 

 says, on recollection, that he remembers to have observed 

 these birds again last spring, about Lady-day, as it were. 



