104 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



songsters of the autumn seem to be the young cock 

 red-breasts of that year : notwithstanding the prejudices 

 in their favour, they do much mischief in gardens to 

 the summer-fruits.* 



The titmouse, which early in February begins to make 

 two quaint notes, hke the whetting of a saw, is the marsh 

 titmouse : the great titmouse sings with three cheerful 

 joyous notes, and begins about tlie same time. 



Wrens sing all the winter through, frost excepted. 



House-martins came remarkably late this year both in 

 Hampshire and Devonshire : is this circumstance for or 

 against either hiding or migration ? 



Most birds drink sipping at intervals ; but pigeons 

 take a long continued draught, like quadrupeds. 



Notwithstanding what I have said in a former letter, 

 no grey crows were ever known to breed on Dartmoor : 

 it was my mistake. 



The appearance and flying of the scarabseus solstidalis, 

 or fern-chafer, commence with the month of July, and 

 cease about the end of it. These scarabs are the constant 

 food of caprimulgi, or fern-owls, through that period. 

 They abound on the chalky downs and in some sandy 

 districts, but not in the clays. 



In the garden of the Black-bear inn in the town of 

 Reading is a stream or canal running under the stables 

 and out into the fields on the other side of the road ; in 

 this water are many carps, which lie rolling about in 

 sight, being fed by travellers, who amuse themselves by 

 tossing them bread : but as soon as the weather grows 

 at all severe these fishes are no longer seen; because 

 they retire under the stables, where they remain till the 

 return of spring. Do they lie in a torpid state ? if they 

 do not, how are they supported ? 



* They eat also ths berries of the ivy, the honeysuckle, and the 

 enonymus europasus, or spindle-tree. 



