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I will ffloft readily admit, that thefe accidental facts are rather 

 to be accounted for, perhaps, from the whimfy or fillinefs of a 

 few birds, which occaflons their laying their eggs in a place where 

 they are eafily difcovered, and contrary to what is ufual with the 

 bulk of the fpecies. 



I remember to have feen a duck's neft once on the top of a 

 pollard willow, near the decoy in St. James's Park ; it would not 

 be, however, fair to infer from fuch an inftance that all ducks 

 would pitch upon the fame very improper iituation for a neft, upon 

 which it is difficult to conceive how a web-footed bird could fettle. 

 Some filly birds likewife now and then choofe a place for build- 

 ing, which cannot efcape the obfervation of either man or beaft, 

 as they pafs by c . 



I therefore fuppofe that the few inftances of woodcocks nefts 

 having been found in England, arife either from one or other of" 

 thefe two caufes ; and all which they feem to prove is, that our 

 climate in fummer is not absolutely improper for them. 



It is to be obferved, however, that Mr. Catefby confiders fuch 

 inftances as of equal force againft the migration of the woodcock 

 as of the fnipe d . Willughby alfo fays, that Mr. Jeffop faw 

 young woodcocks fold at Sheffield (which rather implies a certain 

 number being brought to market), and that others had obferved 

 the fame elfewhere 6 . 



We are, indeed, informed by Scopoli f , that they breed con- 

 stantly in Carniola, which is confiderably to the fouthward of 



0 See alfo other inftances of nefts imprudently placed by birds, Phil. . 

 Tranf. vol. LXIV. parti. p»i99. as alfo vol. LXV, parti, p. 263. 

 ' Phil. Tranf. Abr, vol. II. p. 889,. 



* B. III. c. 1. The fame able ornithologift obferved Woodcocks 

 which were brought to market during the month of Auguft at Nurem- 

 berg ; from whence he concludes, that they continue in that part of Ger- 

 many throughout the year, which is only in 49! North Latitude. 



f Ornith. Leipfig, 1769. 



any 



