- 
562 English Birds compared with American. [ August, 
other evidence of a better public spirit in some respects than we 
can boast; such evidence as the tameness in spring of the com- 
mon partridge and of the ring dove, and the abundance of the 
latter after centuries of civilization. 
These wild pigeons, though heavier than ours, have a more 
than correspondingly slower flight; and it is curious to observe 
how heavy the English atmosphere seems to British birds, and 
how general it makes this difference in speed. At least, I do not 
think that I was misled by his larger size into noting that the 
European swift was much less quick and dashing than his Ameri- 
can cousin; and I am sure that the grouse which I was allowed 
to put up on the moors, could never test the sportsman’s skill in 
rapidity of action so well as any of our game-birds proper. These 
moors in Derbyshire, by the way, were the only place in England 
where I met with mosquitoes, though later in the summer-season, 
while out doors, I was sometimes as much bothered by flies as in 
our own woods. There is, however, a comparative want both of 
cheerful and of annoying insect-life. I may here add of England 
that, though, to be sure, last stimmer’s weather was peculiarly 
unfortunate, I generally found the walking bad, and the air neither 
exhilarating nor soothing, The equable temperature certainly 
gives ease to out-door life; but freedom from enervating heat was 
offset by subjection to depressing wet. oo 
Though I wish to avoid the worst fault of a critic, that of 
fault-finding and depreciation, I believe I may justly say that as, 
the birds of England are inferior to those of New England in 
variety, so are they, on the whole, in coloring and in song. Her 
kingfisher may be as tropical in brilliancy as our hummingbird ; 
her thrushes, swallows and finches as pretty as any other of their 
tribes; but with the exquisite and delicate beauty of our wood- 
warblers, and with the splendor of our tanagers, orioles and star- 
lings, she has almost nothing among her familiar friends to com- 
pare. Then, among her song-birds, of whom I heard nearly all, 
she has none corresponding, as musicians, to our hermit thrush, 
house wren, water warbler, solitary vireo, song sparrow, OF rose- 
breasted grosbeak ; yet all these, and many kindred that I might 
associate with them here, are good singers. To all her song 
birds (that I have heard), on the contrary, except two or three, 
we have singers corresponding, and to all absolutely, I may Say, 
without prejudice, equals or superiors, as well as I can judge. 
