[ 30 7 3 
be the fad, in the late publication of his ingenious 
Effays on Natural Hiflory *. 
Woodcocks likewife are known to build in fome 
parts of England every year ; but, as the inflances are 
commonly thofe of a Angle neft, I would by no 
means pretend to draw the fame proof againfl the 
fummer migration of this bird, as in the former cafe 
of the fnipe. 
I will moil readily admit, that thefe accidental 
fads are rather to be accounted for, perhaps, from 
the whimfy or fiilinefs of a few birds, which occa- 
sions their laying their eggs in a place where they 
are eafily difcovered, and contrary to what is ufual 
with the bulk of the fpecies. 
I remeffiber to have feen a duck’s nefl once on 
the top of a pollard willow, near the decoy in St. 
James’s Park; it would not be, however, fair to in- 
fer from fuch an inflance, that all ducks would pitch 
upon the fame very improper fituation for a neft, 
upon which it is difficult to conceive how a web- 
footed bird could fettle. 
Some filly birds likewife now and then cboofe a 
place for building, which cannot efcape the obferva- 
tion of either man or bead:, as he paffes by. 
I therefore fuppofe that the few proofs of wood- 
cocks neffs having been found in England, arife either 
from one or other of thefe two caufes, and all which 
they leem to prove is, that our climate in fummer is 
not abfolutely improper for them. 
It is to be obferved, however, that Mr. Catefby 
confiders fuch inflances as of equal force againfl the 
> P. 72 a 
Rr 2 
migration 
