NATURAL HISTOEY OF SELBOKNE. 33 
through Holland into Italy." Now I want to know, from some curious 
person in the north, whether there are any large flocks of these finches 
with them in the winter, and of which sex they mostly consist 1 For, 
from such intelligence, one might be able to judge whether our female 
flocks migrate from the other end of the island, or whether they come 
over to us from the continent.* 
We have, in the winter, vast flocks of the common linnets : more, I 
think, than can be bred in any one district. These, I observe, when 
the spring advances, assemble on some tree in the sunshine, and join 
all in a gentle sort of chirping, as if they were about to break up their 
winter quarters and betake themselves to their proper summer homes. 
It is well known, at least, that the swallows and the fieldfares do 
congregate with a gentle twittering before they make their respective 
departure. 
You may depend on it that the bunting, Emheriza miliaria, does 
not leave this county in the winter. In January, 1767, I saw several 
dozen of them, in the midst of a severe frost, among the bushes on 
the downs near Andover : in our woodland enclosed district it is a 
rare bird. 
Wagtails, both white and yellow, are with us all the winter, f Quails 
crowd to our southern coast, and are often killed in numbers by people 
that go on purpose. 
* This is another letter, just such as might have been written from one country 
friend and naturaUst to another, not stating facts, as if for press or pubhcation, 
but simply as they occurred, and with the impress of truth and reality about 
them. No doubt the correspondence of a friend of congenial mind in some 
different locality, and a comparison of his annual calendar, is not only a great 
incitement to prosecute our observations, but aids our insight into the variations 
produced by locality and climate"; and persons fond of the study of natural history, 
but who do not possess the entire scientific acquirements, nor all the facilities for 
research or reference may be of the greatest use in recording facts as they occur, 
and in comparing them with those of other correspondents. Some species are 
numerously, others locally, distributed, and because one observer finds either 
of these to be the case in his vicinity, the conclusion is not to be all at once 
jumped at, that the species is generally abundant or the reverse. Some localities 
may have a species resident^ others may have the same only migratory, or 
partially so. In others, a species may have been, from change of circumstances, 
extirpated, and old authors who have recorded that such was abundant, are not 
to be doubted, because at the time of modern examination circumstances have 
changed. 
Some birds are always gregarious, and are constantly seen in large flocks, and 
breed in colonies, but the greater proportion disperse during the breeding season, 
pair and seek their separate retreats to nest and rear their young. When this great 
object is accomplished and winter approaches, they join and congregate together 
in large parties, but the migratory birds, at the time of their moving, appear 
to assemble in sexes, for we know that the males of many of our summer birds 
of passage arrive before the females. The remark of Linnaeus that is quoted may 
be correct; it is probable that we receive an addition to the numbers of the 
chaffinch in the end of autumn, and Mr. Thompson is disposed to believe that 
some of those that flock together in Ireland have migrated from more northern 
latitudes. The evidence from British ornithologists of the separation of the 
sexes of the chaffinch is at variance, and we think that the division has been 
overrated. The young males not having attained their full plumage may have 
been one cause of deception, and may have, without a minute examination, been 
assumed to be females. 
t White must have had in view the grey wagtail, Motacilla boarvM, many iDairs 
of which remain during winter, and these wanting the dark throat of the breeding 
plumage are nearly all yellow on the under parts. The yellow wagtail, Budytes 
^ava, is a regular summer visitant, arriving rather late, and leaving us about the 
end of August or middle of September. 
D 
