170 
THE NATURAL HISTORY 
[LETT. 
but rejected the common mice ; and that his cats ate the 
common mice, refusing the red. 
Kedbreasts sing all tln^ough the spring, summer, and autumn. 
The reason that they are called autumn songsters is, because in 
the two first seasons their voices are drowned and lost in the 
general chorus ; in the latter their song becomes distinguishable. 
Many songsters of the autumn seem to be the young cock red- 
breasts of that year: notwithstanding the prejudices in their 
favour, they do much mischief in gardens to the summer-fruits. 
They eat also the berries of the ivy, the honeysuckle, and the 
Euonymus Euroiimis, or spindle-tree. 
The titmouse, which early in February begins to make 
two quaint notes, like the whetting of a saw, is the marsh 
titmouse ; the great titmouse sings with three cheerful joyous 
notes, and begins about the same time. 
Wrens sings all the winter through, frost excepted. 
House-martins cam.e remarkably late this year both in Hamp- 
shire and Devonshire. Is this circumstance for or against either 
hiding or migration ? 
Most birds drink sipping at intervals; but pigeons take a 
long-continued draught, like quadrupeds. 
Notwithstanding what I have said in a former letter, no 
gray crows were ever knoAvn to l)reed on Dartmoor : it was 
my mistake. 
The appearance and Hying of the Scarahceiis solstitial is, or 
fernchafer, commence with the month of July, and cease about 
the end of it. These scarabs are the constant food of capri- 
Quidgi, or fern-owls, through that period. They abound on 
the chalky downs, and in soine sandy districts, but not in 
the clays. 
DNd-TAILEI) titmouse's E.ifi. 
