56 NATURAL HISTORY 
fummer three fpecies of birds with us, which writers mention 
as only to be feen in the northern counties. The firft that was 
brought me (on the 14th of Mrv), was the fandpiper, tringa 
hypolcucus: it was a cock bird, and haunted the banks of fome ponds 
near the village ; and, as it had a companion, doubtlefs intended 
to have bred near that water. Befides, the owner has told me 
lince, that, on recollection, he has feen fome of the fame birds 
round his ponds in former fummers. 
The next bird that 1 procured (on the 21ft of May) was a male 
red-backed butcher bird, -lanius collurio^ My neighbour, who fliot 
it, fays that it might eafily have efcaped his notice, had not the 
outcries and chartering of the white-throats and other fmall birds 
drawn his attention to the bufli where it was : it's craw was filled 
with the legs and wings of beetles. 
The next rare birds (which were procured for me laft week) 
were fome ring-oufels, turdi torquatu 
This week twelve months a gentleman from London, being with 
OJS, was amufing himfelf with a gun, and found, he told us, on 
an old yew hedge where there were berries, fome birds like black- 
birds, with rings of white round their necks : a neighbouring 
•farmer alfo at the fame time obferved the fame ; but, as no fpeci- 
mens were procured, little notice was taken. 1 mentioned this 
circumftance to you in my letter of November the 4th, 1767 : (you 
however paid but fmall regard to what I faid, as I had not feen 
thefe birds myfelf) : but laft week the aforefaid farmer, feeing a 
large flock, twenty or thirty of thefe birds, fhot two cocks and two 
hens: and fays, on recolleftion, that he remembers to have obferved 
thefe birds again laft fpring, about Lady-day, as it were, on their 
return to the north. Now peihaps thefe oufels are not the oufels 
of the north of England^ but belong tc the more northern parts qf 
Europe; 
