INFLUENCES OF GEOGRAPHY. 
285 
lions ; the intersection of a country by smaller 
rivers and inland waters will afford fluviatile and 
lacustrine animals ; mountains and hills are the re¬ 
sorts of a variety of creatures; heaths and unculti¬ 
vated spots have their peculiar animals ; cultivated 
land, by originating a large proportion and variety 
of plants and trees, invite thither a great variety of 
passerine and other birds either in search of insects 
in connexion with the vegetation, or for the purpose 
of feeding on the various seeds ; together with the 
passerine birds are found the climbers they being 
insectivorous, and lastly, certain of the hawks or 
other predatory birds allured thither by the presence 
of smaller species. 
Such is the usual ornithology of many of our 
wooded districts in Devon, and notwithstanding 
that we owe much to our hills and heaths, perhaps 
our geographical position and our relations to other 
countries, and above all, the extent of our woods 
and cultivated ground, may be considered as more 
generally influential in determining our species of 
birds than any other secondary cause. Certainly 
Devon and Cornwall are two of the mildest counties 
in England, and in conformity with that character, 
the Stone Curlew has been known, according to 
Montagu, to remain all winter with us at the Start 
the most southern point of land in England, except 
the Lizard in Cornwall. So also the Chiff-chaff was 
observed by the same eminent naturalist to stay 
the winter with us near his house at Kingsbridge. 
Storms and other phenomena of weather referable 
to the head Climate, are as above said, and as w T ill 
in the sequel be illustrated, of considerable conse¬ 
quence in forming and influencing a Fauna; but 
Climate is very much dependent on situation, 
arrangement, and other local circumstances of a 
country, especially adjacency of sea which renders 
the temperature of all countries bordering on it mild 
