324 
OBSERVATIONS ON 
his gun to shoot sparrows, his cats would run out before- 
him, to be ready to catch up the birds as they fell. 
The earnest and early propensity of the Gallince to roost 
on high is very observable ; and discovers a strong dread 
impressed on their spirits respecting vermin that may annoy 
them on the ground during the hours of darkness. Hence 
poultry, if left to themselves and not housed, will perch the 
v/inter through on yew trees and fir trees ; and turkeys and 
guinea-fowls, heavy as they are, get up into apple trees : 
pheasants also in woods sleep on trees to avoid foxes ; while 
pea-fowls climb to the tops of the highest trees round their 
owner's house for security, let the weather be ever so cold 
or blowing. Partridges, it is true, roost on the ground, 
not having the facult}^ of perching; but then the same fear 
prevails in their minds; for, through apprehensions from 
pole-cats and stoats, they never trust themselves to coverts,, 
but nestle together in the midst of large fields, far removed 
from hedges and coppices, which they love to haunt in the 
day, and where at that season they can skulk more secure 
from the ravage^ of rapacious birds. 
As to ducks and geese, their awkward splay web-feet 
forbid them to settle on trees; they therefore, in the hours 
of darkness and danger, betake themselves to their own 
element, the water, where amidst large lakes and pools, like 
ships riding at anchor, they float the whole night long m 
peace and security/ 
^ Guinea fowls not only roost on high, but in hard weather resort^, 
even in the daytime, to the very tops of the highest trees. 
Last winter, when the ground was covered with snow, I discovered all 
my guinea fowls, in the middle of the day, sitting on the highest boughs 
of some very tall elms, chattering and making a great clamour : I ordered 
them to be driven down, lest they should be frozen to death in so ele- 
vated a situation, but this was nut effected without much difficulty, they 
being very unwilling to quit their lofty abode, notwithstanding one of 
them had its feet so much frozen that we were obliged to kill it. I know 
not how to account for this, unless it was occasioned by their aversion to 
the snow on the ground, they being birds that come originally from a 
hot climate. [As to the effect of the glare of snow on poultry, see Letter 
LXII. to Daines Barrrington, p. 303. — Ed.] 
Kotwithstanding the a^Yk^vard splay web-feet (as Mr. AVhite calls 
them) of the duck genus, some of the foreign species have the power ol' 
