loa NATURAL HISTORY 
LirWctus ranges plants geographically ; palms inhabit the tropics, 
grades the temperate zones, and mofles and lichens the polar 
circles ; no doubt animals may be clafled in the fame manner with 
propriety. 
Houfc-fparrows build under eaves in the fpring ; as the weather 
becomes hotter they get out for coohiefs, and neft in plum-trees 
and apple-trees. Thefe birds have been known fometimes to 
build in rooks' nefts, and fometimes in the forks of boughs under 
rooks' nefls. 
As my neighbour ^vas houfing a rick he obferved that his dogs 
devoured all the little red mice that they could catch, but rejedled 
the common mice ; and that his cats ate the common mice, 
refufing the red, 
Red-breafts ling all through the fpring, fummer, and autumn. 
The reafon that they are called autumn fongfters is, becaufe in the 
two firft feafons their voices are drowned and loft in the general 
chorus ; in the latter their long becomes diftinguifhable. Many 
fongfters of the autumn feem to be the young cock red-breafts of 
that year: notwlthftandlng the prejudices in their favour, they 
do much mifchiefin gardens to the fummer-fruits 
The titmoufe, which early in February begins to make two 
quaint notes, like the whetting of a faw, is the marfh titmoufe ; 
the great titmoufe fmgs with three cheerful joyous notes, and 
begins about the fame time. 
Wrens fing all the winter through, froft excepted. 
Houfe-martins came remarkably late this year both in HampJInre 
and Devonjloire : is this circumftance for or againft either hiding 
or migration ? 
" They eat alfo the berries of the ivy, the honey.fuckle, and the eimymus eurofaus, 
or Ipiiidle-tree. 
Moft 
