68 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



It is not often that the amiable naturalist of Selborne 

 came to wrong conclusions, or put forth fanciful theories, 

 so commonly indulged in by writers on natural history. 

 He was too acute an observer for the former, and too 

 conscientious a one for the latter. Tet in regard to these 

 same birds, another of his ideas seems paradoxical — ^that 

 relating to their migration. Noticing the large flocks of 

 them that appear in winter, he says, " It would seem very 

 improbable that any one district should produce such 

 numbers. . . . Therefore we may conclude that the 

 Fringillce ccelehes for some good purposes, have a peculiar 

 migration of their own." Now, when we consider that 

 the Chaffinch usually produces two broods in a year, each 

 of four or five birds, and that around every house, and in 

 almost every hedge-row, there is a nest, it is mere matter 

 of wonder the winter flocks are not larger than they are. 

 Certainly migration is not needed to account for their 

 numbers. And, possibly, there is a like easy explanation 

 of the Hampshire ones being "almost all hens," as White 

 puts it. For he does not affirm that they were all hens. 

 May not the predominance of this sex have been only 

 apparent from the young cocks of the year not yet having 

 attained their perfect plumage — the red breastand brighter 

 hues generally ? Might not these have been mistaken 

 for hens, and so made the latter appear the more numerous? 

 Supposing eight or ten young birds to be successfully 

 brought up by a single pair in the breeding season — ^and 

 admitting the above theory to be correct — these, with the 

 mother hens, would give in the winter flocks nine or eleven 

 grey breasts against one of the brick colour. And, like 

 enough, this is the explanation of the puzzle. 



