272 
OBSEKVATIONS ON BIllDS 
up a number of grains which are shaken from the sheaves by the 
agitation of the carriages. Thus, when my brother used to take down 
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 gallinae 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 winter 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 faculty of perching; but 
then the same fear prevails in their minds ; for through apprehension 
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 ravages 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 in peace and security. — White. 
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 elevated a 
situation, but this was not 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. 
Notwithstanding the awkward splay web-feet (as Mr. White calls 
them) of the duck genus, some of the foreign species have the power 
of settling on the boughs of trees apparently with great ease ; an 
instance of which I have seen in the Earl of Ashburnham's menagerie, 
where the summer duck, ancts sponsa, flew up, and settled on the branch 
of an oak-tree in my presence : but whether any of them roost on trees 
in the night, we are not informed by any author that I am acquainted 
with.f I suppose not, but that, like the rest of the genus, they sleep on 
* Since railways have been introduced, crows (common rooks) assemble along 
the line to pick up the pieces of grease that fall from the carriage wheels. 
t Several ducks are of arboreal habits, perch and roost upon trees and make 
their nest in hollows or in appropriate situations among the large branches. The 
common wild-duck has been known to breed in a pollard willow. 
