82 
NATURAL HISTOEY OF SELBORNE. 
standing the prejudices in their favour, they do much mischief in 
gardens to the summer-fruits.* 
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 sing all the winter through, frost excepted. 
House-martins came remarkably late this year both in Hampshire 
and Devonshire : is this circumstance for or against either hiding or 
migration 1 
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 known to breed on Dartmoor ; it was my mistake. 
The appearance and flying of the Scarahceus solstitialis, or fern-chafer, 
commence with the month of July, and cease about the end of it. 
These scarabs are the constant food of Caprimulgi, or fern owls, through 
that period. They abound on the chalky downs and in some sandy 
districts, but not in the clays. 
In the garden of the Black Bear inn in the town of Reading is a 
stream or canal running under the stables and out into the fields on the 
other side of the road : in this water are many carps, which lie rolling 
about in sight, being fed by travellers, who amuse themselves by tossing 
them bread ; but as soon as the weather grows at all severe these fishes 
are no longer seen, because they retire under the stables, where they 
remain till the return of spring. Do they lie in a torpid state 1 if they 
do not, how are they supported 
The note of the white-throat, which is continually repeated, and often 
attended with odd gesticulations on the wing, is harsh and displeasing. 
These birds seem of a pugnacious disposition ; for they sing with an 
erected crest and attitudes of rivalry and defiance ; are shy and wild in 
breeding-time, avoiding neighbourhoods, and haunting lonely lanes and 
commons ; nay even the very tops of the Sussex Downs, where there 
are bushes and covert ; but in July and August they bring their broods 
into gardens and orchards, and make great havoc among the summer- 
fruits. 
The black cap has . in common a full, sweet, deep, loud, and wild 
pipe ; yet that strain is of short continuance, and his motions are 
desultory ; but when that bird sits calmly and engages in song in 
earnest, he pours forth very sweet, but inward melody, and expresses 
great variety of soft and gentle modulations, superior perhaps to those 
of any of our warblers, the nightingale excepted. 
Black-caps mostly haunt orchards and gardens; while they warble 
their throats are wonderfully distended. 
The song of the redstart' is superior, though somewhat like that of 
the white-throat; some birds have a few more notes than others. 
* They eat also the berries of the ivy, the honey-suckle, and the Euonymus 
europoeus, or spindle-tree. 
t It is the notes of the greater and cole titmice, Parus major and ater, that 
resemble the whetting of a saw. 
