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If a {ingle bird of any other kind happens to be 

 feen in the winter, without motion or apparent warmth, 

 it is immediately conceived that it died by fbme com- 

 mon accident. 



I mail, however, without any referve, fay, that I 

 rather conceive the notion which prevails with re- 

 gard to the migration of many birds, may moil: 

 commonly arife from the want of obfervation, 

 and ready knowledge of them, when they are 

 feen on the wing, even by profeffed ornitholo- 

 gifts. 



It is an old faying, that " a bird in the hand is 

 " worth two in the bum;" and this holds equally 

 with regard to their being diflinguimed, when thole 

 even who ftudy natural hiftory, have but a traniient 

 fisht of the animal *. 



lf 9 therefore, a bird, which is fuppofed to migrate 

 in the winter, paftes almoft under the nofe of a Lin- 

 naean, he pays but little attention to it, becaufe he 

 cannot examine the beak, by which he is to clafs the 

 bird. Thus I conceive, that the fuppofing a night- 

 ingale to be a bird of pafTage arifes from not readily 

 diflinguifhing it, when feen in a hedge, or on the 

 wing-f. 



This bird is known to the ear of every one, by its 

 moft ftriking and capital notes, but to the eye of very 



* An ingenious friend of mine makes always a very proper 

 diftinclion between what he calls in-door and out-door natu- 

 ral ifts. 



Thomas Willifel, who sfiiited Ray and Willughby much 

 with regard to the natural hiftory of the animals of this ifland, 

 never ftirred anywhere without his gun and fifhing-tackle. 



•(- No two birds fly in the fame manner^ if their motions are 

 accurately attended to. 



2 few 



