322 
MIGRATION. 
and the tail has only one black bar, about half an inch in breadth at the 
end, with the tip white. In every other respect it resembles the last 
described. 
MEROPS (Linn^us.) — * Bee-eater, a genus thus characterised. 
Bill rather long, slightly curved, sharp pointed, somewhat quadran- 
gular, and keeled ; nostrils at the sides of the base, oval, open, and in 
some species partly hidden by reflected bristles ; legs having the shank 
short ; toes three before and one behind, the outer being joined to the 
middle one as far as the second joint ; the inner one the same as far as 
the first joint ; claws small, that of the hind toe the smallest ; wings, 
the first quill very short, the second the longest in the wing. One 
species only has been observed as a straggler in Britain.* 
MERULID^ (Vigors.) — *The Thrush kind; a family of the 
Perchers, (^Insessores^ Vigors.)* 
MEW. — A name for the Gull (Larus canus) in its immature 
plumage. 
MIDDLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER.— A name for the Crank 
Bird. 
MIGRATION. — The migration of birds is a curious fact which no 
one denies, though we have not wanted for incredulous persons who 
believed the nightingale was to be found in every hedge during winter. 
That an accidental summer bird of passage may be, by disease, pre- 
vented from returning to its natural winter quarters, we can admit ; 
because there are variety of instances of the swallow and martin having 
been seen flying in the months of November and December, roused, 
probably, from a state of torpidity, by an unusual warmth of the air. 
So also there are instances of some of our winter migrants remaining 
with us the whole summer. The woodcock’s eggs and young have 
many times been taken in our woods ; but these are individual occur- 
rences only, occasioned by accident. If all the migrative species did 
actually reside with us the whole year, whether in a torpid state or 
not, we should have daily productions of the fact ; and yet, in the 
various historic pages of this country, very few instances have been 
related, that had the appearance of authenticity, of the torpidity of 
any of our summer migrants ; and such appear to be only of the swal- 
low tribe. Torpidity is probably the state of those summer birds 
of passage which accident may have detained with us during winter ; 
similar to the hedgehog, the dormouse, and bat. These become inani- 
mate when the thermometer sinks within ten degrees of the freezing 
point, as their animal heat keeps pace with the temperature of the air at 
that time. That our summer migrants come from the south, or warmer 
plimate, and our winter migrants from the north, or colder climate, there 
