$22 MIGRATION OF BRITISH BIRDS, 



minute a food : whilft mankind is very fparingly feat- 

 tered over that vaft northern wade. 



"Why then mould Linnaeus, the great explorer of 

 thefe rude deferts, be amazed at the myriads of water 

 fowl that migrated with him out of Lapland? Which 

 exceeded in multitudes the army of Xerxes •, covering, 

 for eight whole days and nights, the furface of the 

 river Calix*. His partial obfervation as a botaniflr, 

 would confine their food to the -vegetable kingdom, 

 almoft denied to the Lapland waters •, inattentive to a 

 more plenteous table of infect food, which the all boun- 

 tiful Creator had fpread for them in the wildemefs t« 



* Flora Lafpomca, 273. Am&n. acad. iv. 570. 



f It may be remarked, that the lakes of mountanous rocky 

 countries in general are deftitute of plants : few or none are feen o« 

 thofe of Switzerland; and Linn<eu$ makes the fame obfervation in 

 refpeft to thofe of Lapland; having, during his whole tour, dif- 

 covered only a fingle fpecimen, that of a kmna trifulca, or ivy leaved 

 duck's mext. Flora Lap. No. 470. 



