MIGRATION OF BRITISH BIRDS. 521 



coaft of Kerry: the two firfb continue 

 on our fhores the whole year. The 

 Gannet difperfes itfelf all round the 

 feas of Great-Britain, in purfuit of 

 the Herring and Pilchard, and even 

 as far as the Tagus to prey on the 

 Sardina. 



But of the numerous fpecies of fowl here enume- 

 rated, it may be obferved how very few entruft them- 

 felves to us in the breeding feafon; and what a diftant 

 flight they make to perform the firfl great dictate of 

 nature. 



There feems to be fcarcely any but what we have 

 traced to Lapland, a country of lakes, rivers, fwamps 

 and alps *, covered with thick and gloomy forefts j 

 that afford fhelter during fummer to thefe fowls, 

 which in winter difperfe over the greatest part of 

 Europe. In thofe or Stic regions, by reafon of the 

 thicknefs of the woods, the ground remains moift and 

 penetrable to the TVoodcocks, and other (lender billed 

 fowl : and for the web-footed birds f, the waters afford 

 larva innumerable of the tormenting Knat. The days 

 there are long \ and the beautiful meteorous nights 

 indulge them with every opportunity of collecting fo 



* Flora Lappomca Lefiori et Proleg. 



j- A difciple of ' Linnaus t fpeaks thus of their food, Lapponia, ubi 

 vi&um ex larvis et pi pis culicum, altrix paravit numinis munificen- 

 tia. Am<en. acad. iv. i 5 5. M. de Maupertuis makes the fame obfer- 

 vation, Ce ruiffeau nous conduifit a un lac fi rempli de petits grains 

 jaunatres de la groffeur du Mil que toute fon eau en etcit teince. Jc 

 pris ces grains pour la Chryfalidt de qudque infe&e, &c. Oeu-vres dt 

 M. ds Mattpsrtuis, iii. 1 16. 



minute 



