XLl.] 
119 
The best authority that we can have for the nidification of 
the bnxls above-mentioned in any district, is the testimony of 
faunists that have written professedly tlie natural history of 
particular countries. Now, as to the fieldfare, Linnj^us, in his 
" Fauna Suecica," says of it, that " it builds in the largest 
trees," — " maximis in arboribus nidificat ; " and of the redwing- 
he says, in the same place, that "it builds in the middle of 
shrubs or hedges, and lays six bluish-green eggs with black 
spots," — "nidificat in mediis arbusculis, sive sepibus : ova sex 
C9eruleo-viridia maculis nigris variis." Hence we may be assured 
that fieldfares and redwings breed in Sweden. Scopoli says, in 
his " Annus Primus," of the woodcock, that " it comes to us 
about the vernal equinox, and, after pairing, it builds its nest in 
marshy places, and lays its eggs," — " nupta ad nos venit circa 
aequinoctium vernale ;" meaning in Tyrol, of which he is a native. 
And afterwards he adds, — " nidificat in paludibus alpinis : ova 
ponit 3 — 5." It does not appear from Kramer tliat wood- 
cocks breed at all in Austria ; but he says : — "This bird dwells 
in the northern regions in summer, where, too, it generally builds 
its nest. As winter comes on it goes farther south, leaving 
this about the October full-moon. After pairing, it usually 
comes back to the north about the full March moon," — " Avis 
hsec septentrionalium provinciarum sestivo tempore incola est ; 
ubi plerumque nidificat. Appropinquante hyeme australiores 
provincias petit : hinc circa plenilunium mensis Octobris ple- 
rumque Austriam transmigrat. Tunc rursus circa plenilunium 
potissimum mensis Martii per Austriam matrimonio juncta ad 
septentrionales provincias redit." For the whole passage (which 
I have abridged) see " Elenchus," (fee. p. 351. This seems to be a 
full proof of the migration of woodcocks ; though little is proved 
concerning the place of breeding. 
There fell in the county of Eutland, in three weeks of this 
present very wet weather, seven inches and a-half of rain, which 
is more than has fallen in any three weeks for these thirty year 
past in that part of the world. A mean quantity in that county 
for one year is twenty inches and a-half. 
Selborne, Dec. 20, 1770. 
