APPEARANCE OF MIGRATORY BIRDS. 87 



rice season is past. It has also been observed of this, and 

 several other species of birds, that the male and female 

 separate during the time of migration. Of the Rice bird it 

 is said that it is only the female which emigrates to Caro- 

 lina. Ih Sweden a species of Duck, it is said, is found, the 

 males of which constantly leave the country at the time of 

 incubation, and do not return till the pairing season. 



Attempts have been made to ascertain the exact time of 

 the appearance and retreat of the various migratory birds; 

 but, from a variety of circumstances, this will be found 

 difficult, if not impossible : some birds appearing in certain 

 places much sooner than in others ; and some never appear- 

 ing in many places, in certain seasons, at all. Thus it is said 

 that the Nightingale is not to be found in England, farther 

 from Dover, in any direction, than the distance of 150 

 miles. Perhaps, however, 200 miles might be nearer the 

 truth. Huntspill, in Somersetshire, is considerably more 

 than 150 miles from Dover; it is often heard there ; I have 

 also heard it on the banks of the Wye, between Chepstow 

 and Monmouth. Notwithstanding the Nightingale is by no 

 means an uncommon bird in Somersetshire, I remember 

 very well that some years ago, while I resided at Huntspill, 

 one or two summers passed without my hearing it at all ; 

 hence, I conclude it was not in the neighbourhood in those 

 years. 



Our migratory summer birds, such as the Cuckoo, Night- 

 ingale, Swallow, &c. do, however, generally make their ap- 

 pearance some time in April, according to the season, but 

 usually towards the latter end of the month. The winter 

 birds are more irregular still in their appearance. October 

 and November are the usual months in which they arrive ; 

 the Ring- ouzel, it is said, soon after Michaelmas; the 

 Royston, or Hooded Crow, in October; Snipes, in Novem- 



