3*88 
MIG 
here seems unequal to the clouds of them 
that appear in winter, it is not unlikely 
that many migrate into Sweden, whither Mr. 
Berger observes they return in spring. 
8. Thrushes. The fieldfare and the 
redwing breed pass their summers in Nor- 
way and other cold countries; their food is 
berries, which abounding in our kingdoms 
tempt them hither in the winter. These two, 
and the Royston crow, are the only land 
birds that regularly and constantly migrate 
into England, and do not breed here. The 
hawfinch and crossbill come hither at such 
uncertain times as not to deserve the name 
of birds of passage. 
9. Chatterer. The chatterer appears an- 
nually about Edinburgh in flocks during 
winter, and feeds on the berries of the moun- 
tain-ash. In South Britain it is an accidental 
visitant. 
10. Grosbeaks. The grosbeak and cross- 
bill come hither but. seldom; they breed in 
Austria. The pine grosbeak probably breeds 
in the forests of the Highlands of Scotland. 
1 1. Buntings. Ail the genus inhabit Eng- 
land throughout the year, except the greater 
br, ambling, which is forced hither from the 
north in very severe seasons. 
12. Finches. All continue in some part 
of these kingdoms, except the siskin, which 
is an irregular visitant, said to come from 
Russia. The linnets shift their quarters, 
breeding in one part of this island, and re- 
move with their young to others. AH finches 
feed on the seeds of plants. 
13. Larks, ily-catchers, wagtails, and war- 
blers. All these birds feed on insects and 
worms; yet only part of them quit these 
kingdoms, though the reason of migration is 
the same to allrfv The nightingale, black-cap, 
fly-catcher, wmow-wren, wheate&r, and 
white-throat, leave us before winter, while the 
small and delicate golden-crested wren braves 
©ur severest frosts. The migrants of this 
genus continue longest in Great Britain in 
the southern counties, the winter in those 
S arts being later than in those of the north ; 
Tr. Stiliingfleet having observed several 
wheatears in the isle of Purbeck on the 18th 
©f November. As these birds are incapable 
of very distant flights, Spain, or the south of 
France, is probably their winter asylum. 
14. Swallow and goat-sucker. Every 
species disappears at the approach of winter. 
Water-Fowl, cloven-footed. 
15. Herons. The white heron is an un- 
common bird, and visits us at uncertain sea- 
sons; the common kind and the bittern never 
leave us. 
16. Curlews. The curlew breeds some- 
times on our mountains; but, considering 
the vast flights that appear in winter, it is 
probable that the greater part retire to other 
countries ; the whimbrel breeds on the 
Grampian hills, in. the neighbourhood of 
Invevcauld. 
17. Snipes. The woodcock breeds in the 
moist woods of Sweden, and other cold 
countries. Some snipes breed here ; but the 
greatest part retire elsewhere, as do every 
other species of this genus. 
18. Sandpipers. The lapwing continues 
here the whole year ; the ruff breeds here, 
but retires in winter ; the redshank and sand- 
piper breed in this country, and reside here. 
M I G 
All the others absent themselves during sum- 
mer. 
19- Plovers and oyster-catchers. The long- 
legged plover and the sandeHing visit us only 
in winter : the dottrel appears in spring and in 
autumn ; vet, what is very singular, we do 
not find it breeds in South Britain. The 
oyster-catcher lives with us the whole year. 
The Norfolk plover and the sea-lark breed in 
England. The green plover breeds on the 
mountains of the north of England, and on 
the Grampian hills. 
We must here remark, that every species 
of the genera of curlews, woodcocks, sand- 
pipers, and plovers, that forsake us in the 
spring, retire to Sweden, Poland, Prussia, 
Norway, and Lapland, to breed; as soon as 
the young can fly, they return to us again, 
because the frosts which set in early in those 
countries totally deprive them of the means 
of subsisting; as the dryness and hardness of 
the ground, in general, during our summer, 
prevent them from penetrating the earth with 
their bills, in search of worms, which are the 
natural food of these birds. 
20. Rails and gailinules. Every species 
of these two genera continue with us the 
whole year ; the land-rail excepted, which 
is not seen here in winter. It likewise con- 
tinues in Ireland only during the summer- 
months, when it is very numerous. 
Fix n ed-footed Water-birds. 
21. Phalaropes visit us but seldom ; their 
breeding-place is Lapland and other arctic 
regions. 
22. Grebes. The great-crested grebe, the 
black and white grebe, and little grebe, breed 
with us, and never migrate ; the others visit 
us accidentally, and breed in Lapland. 
Web-footed Birds. 
23. Avoset. Breed near Fossdike in Lin- 
colnshire, but quit their quarters in winter. 
T hey are then shot in different parts of the 
kingdom ; which they visit not regularly, but 
accidentally. 
24. Auks and guillemots. The great 
auk or pinguin sometimes breeds in St. 
Kilda. The auk, the guillemot, and puffin, 
inhabit most of the maritime cliffs of Great 
Britain, in amazing numbers, 'during summer. 
The black guillemot breeds in the Bass Isle, 
and in St. Kilda, and sometimes in Llandinno 
rocks. We are at a loss for the breeding- 
place of the other species ; neither can we 
be very certain of the winter residence of 
any of them, except of the lesser guille- 
mot and black-billed auk, which, during win- 
ter, visit in vast flocks the frith of Forth. 
25. Divers, chiefly breed in the lakes of 
Sweden and Lapland, and in some countries 
near the pole ; but some of the red- throated 
divers, the northern, and the imber, may 
breed in the north of Scotland and its isles. 
26. Terns. Every species breeds here, 
but leaves us in the winter. 
27. Petrels. The fulmar breeds in the 
isle of St. Kilda, and continues there the whole 
year except September and part of October. 
The shearwater visits the Isle of Man in 
April ; breeds there ; and, leaving it in Au- 
gust or-the beginning of September, disperses 
over all parts of the Atlantic ocean. The 
stormfinch is seen at all distances from land 
on the same vast watery tract ; nor is ever 
found near the shore except by some very 
M I L 
rare accident, unless In the breeding-season. 
Mr. Pennant found it on some little rocky 
isles, off the north of Skye. It also breeds in, 
St. Kilda. He suspects too that it nestles 
on the Blasquet isles off Kerry, and that it 
is the gourdei o! Mr. Smith. 
28. Mergansers. This whole genus is 
mentioned among the birds that fill the Lap- 
land lakes during summer. Mr. Pennant 
lias seen the young of the red-breasted in the 
north of Scotland ; a few of these, and per- 
haps of the goosanders, may breed there. 
29. Ducks. Of the numerous species that 
form this genus, we know of few that breed * 
here; the swan and goose, the shield-duck, 
the eider-duck, a few shovellers, gargaities, 
and teals, and a very small portion oi the wild 
ducks. 
The rest contribute to form that amazing 
multitude of water-fowl that annually repair 
from most parts of Europe to the woods and 
lakes of Lapland and other arctic regions, 
there to perform the functions of incuba- 
tion and nutrition in full security. They 
and their young quit their retreat in Septem- 
ber, and disperse themselves over Europe. 
With us they make their appearance the be- 
ginning of October; circulate first round our 
shores ; and, when compelled by severe frost, 
betake themselves to our lakes and rivers. 
Of the web-footed fowl thfcre are some of 
hardier constitutions than others ; these en- 
dure the ordinary winters of the more nor- 
thern countries ; but when the cold reigns 
there with more than common rigour, they 
repair for shelter to these kingdoms: this 
regulates the appearance of some of the diver 
kind, as also of the wild swans, the swallow- 
tailed shield-duck, and the different sorts of 
goosanders which then visit our coasts. Ba- 
rentz found the barnacles with their nests in 
great numbers in Nova Zembla. 
30. Corvorants. The corvorant and shag 
breed on most of our high rocks: the gannet 
in some of the Scotch isles, and on the coast 
of Kerry ; the two first continue on our 
shores the whole year. The gannet disperses 
itself all round the seas of Great Britain, in 
pursuit of the herring and pilchard, and even 
as far as the Tagus to prey on the sardina. 
MILE, a measure of length or distance, 
containing eight furlongs. 
The English statute-mile is fourscore 
chains, or 1 760 yards ; that is, 5280 feet. 
See Chain, Yard, and Foot. 
We shall here give a table of the miles in 
use among the principal nations of Europe, 
in geometrical paces, 60,000 of which make 
a degree of the equator. 
Geometrical paces. 
Mile of Russia - 750 
of Italy - - 1000 
of England - 1250 
of Scotland and Ireland 1500 
of Poland - - 3000 
of Spain - - 3428 
of Germany •• - 4000 
of Sweden - - 5000, 
of Denmark - - 5000 
of Hungary - - 6000 
MILIARY FEVER, a malignant fever, so 
called from the eruption of certain pustules 
resembling millet-seeds. See Medicine. 
MILIU M, millet, a genus of the digy- 
nia order, in the triandria class of plants ; and 
