I 315 ] 



This circumftance, however, is by no means pe- 

 culiar to the fieldfare and redwing j molt of the hard- 

 billed finging birds do the fame in winter, but fepa- 

 rate in fummer, as it is indeed neceflary all birds 

 mould during the time of breeding. 



I mail now cfonfider another argument in favour of 

 migration, which I do not know hath been ever 

 inlifted upon by thofe writers who have contended 

 for it, and which at firft appearance feems to carry 

 great weight with it. 



There are certain birds, which are fuppofed to vifk 

 this illand only at diftant intervals of years - 3 the Bo- 

 hemian chatterer and crofs -bill * (for example) once 

 perhaps in twenty. 



The fad: is not difputed, that fuch birds are not 

 commonly obferved in particular fpots from year to 

 year ; but this may arife from two caufes, either a 

 partial migration within the verge of our ifland, or 

 perhaps more frequently from want of a ready know- 

 ledge of birds on the wing, when they happen to 

 be feen indeed, but cannot be examined. 



I never have difputed fuch a partial migration j and 

 indeed I have received a moft irrefragable proof of 

 fuch a flitting, from the Rev. Mr. White of Selborn 

 in Hampmire, whofe accurate obfervations I have be- 

 fore had occafion to argue from. 



* This bird changes the colour of its plumage at different 

 feafons of the year, which is fometimes red.. 



The firft account we have of their being feen, is in the Ph.Tiv. 

 abr* Vol. V. p. 33. where Mr. Edward Lhwyd fufpe&s them 

 to be Virginia nightingales, from their feathers being red, and 

 had no difficulty of at once fnppofing that they had eroded the 

 Atlantic*. 



S S 2. The. 



