BRITISH BIRDS, 
I52 
be difcovered that any two of them agreed perfect- 
ly in colours. It is probable that the Mountain 
Bunting, or LelTer Mountain Finch of Pennant and 
Latham, is the fame bird in a fomewhat different 
drefs ; it has been fome times found in the more 
fouthern parts of England, where the little ftran- 
ger would be noticed, and without duly attending 
to its diftinguifhing characters, has been conftdered 
as forming a diftinCt kind, and adding one more to 
the numerous varieties of the feathered tribes. — - 
We have frequently had occafion to obferve, how 
difficult it is to avoid falling into errors of this 
fort ; the changes which frequently take place in 
the fame bird, at different periods of its age, as 
well as from change of food, climate, or the like, 
are fo confiderable, as often to puzzle, and fome- 
times to miflead, the moll experienced ornitholo- 
gift ; much caution is therefore neceflary to guard 
againft thefe deceitful appearances ; left, by mul- 
tiplying the fpecies beyond the bounds which na- 
ture has prefcribed, we thereby introduce confufton 
into our fyftem ; and, inftead of fatisfying the at- 
tentive inquirer, we Ihall only bewilder and per- 
plex him in his refearches into nature. 
