2072 Birds. 



much feeding-ground for birds at different seasons of the year ; on that account I have 

 for years watched with pleasure the migratory habits of birds : therefore if you think 

 the following observations will any way elucidate the subject of migration, and the 

 enquiry of your correspondent about the plover family (Zool. 2023), it is at your ser- 

 vice. The whole western part of the county of Durham is a range of very high hills, 

 covered with heath ; and of course this is the golden plover's summer residence. Here 

 they remain until late in October or the early part of November, when they descend 

 to the amphitheatre of hills and high table land around Bishop's Auckland, which are 

 principally sheep-walks, where for sometimes three weeks or a month (much depending 

 upon the season, whether frosty or open weather), at the gray of morning or in the 

 evening hour, their shrill whistle may be heard. In the day-time they are frequently 

 seen in company with the peewits, forming large flocks, but after about the time 

 named above they leave us for the coast, which is low, especially the south-east por- 

 tion, forming a fine champaign district for many miles inland, and where the snow 

 seldom lays for more than a few days, frequently not many hours : on this ground, 

 along the beach, or on the muddy flats formed for some miles along the Tees, by the 

 flow and ebb of the tide, they spend the depth of winter, and of course are only partial 

 migrants (that is, with us), for I have got them on the coast at that time of the year. 

 The first I observed this season was on the 11th of February, but now that the hills 

 have cast off their snowy covering these birds have passed on westward. The curlew, 

 whimbrel, starling, and all our indigenous thrushes, the blackbird excepted, are par- 

 tial migrants when the winter is severe. While on the subject of migration, may I be 

 allowed to call attention, through your valuable journal, to the affirmed migratory ha- 

 bits of the female chaffinch. Both White and Selby say the hen chaffinches migrate, 

 while the males, I suppose being either less Quixotic, or possessing in a smaller degree 

 the perceptive faculties, and of course not being so well qualified to make geographical 

 discoveries, stay contentedly at home : they cannot be guided by the same laws which 

 are generally allowed to govern other birds, that is, the want of food ; for if the males 

 and our other indigenous finches can subsist through winter, we may ask, why not the 

 females also ? Is it not more likely that the flocks seen by these observers consisted 

 of both sexes ? The adult males denuded of their summer dress might easily be mis- 

 taken for young males, whilst the young males may have been classed with the females. 

 I think that none of our indigenous birds exhibit a greater contrast between their sum- 

 mer and winter dress, for they not only lose that beautiful bloom in winter which makes 

 them so conspicuous to the most casual observer, but their markings are very faint un- 

 til the latter part of February or March, and it is not until April that they attain the 

 full bloom which makes them the ornament of our hedge-rows. The latter part of 

 last April and the beginning of May, as will be remembered, was very cold and wet, 

 which caused us to have a very limited number of some of our summer visitants, espe- 

 cially the swallow family, the redstarts, the wheatear and the pied flycatcher (I only 

 heard of a single pied flycatcher having been seen), while the spotted flycatcher, the 

 whitethroat, the grasshopper warbler and most of our other visitants abounded. — /. 

 Duff; Bishop's Auckland, March 13, 1848. 



[My correspondent will perhaps reconsider this explanation. Mr. Selby says, 

 "the males remain and are met with during winter in immense flocks." The converse 

 of the explanation is therefore required. If a change in plumage has taken place, it 

 must be that females have assumed the male dress in the winter. About London we 

 sec both sexes all the year round. — E. N.~\ 



