!gland, and m other parts of Europe, and concerning whofe difappearance the learned have fo much difputed. 
There are pretty good reafons for believing, that thefe birds perform regular migrations between Europe and 
America. It is remarkable, that they are more numerous on the weflern than on the eaftern fhore of Britain. 
They are ftill more numerous in the weft of Ireland than in the weft of Scotland. For one Wood-Cock on 
the eaft-coaft of Scotland there are twelve in the weft, and for one in the weft of Scotland there are twelve in 
Ireland.”* Lord Kenmor^ about the laft of September, failed from Lifbon to Falmouth, in England, and for 
ten or twelve days was becalmed on the coaft of France. Every day, he faw from ten to twenty Wood*cocks paf- 
fing from the weft towards the land. Thefe it was imagined, came from the continent of America. But I do 
not fuppofe that all our Wood-cocks thus migrate to Europe. It is pretty certain, that thefe birds when they 
vifit us in the fpring come from the fouth, and in the autumn they return to the fouth again. How far fouth 
they proceed, I am unable to determine. They are known in Florida, where it is not improbable, that many of 
them pafs the winter-feafon. 
Fringilla pinus (mihi). This is one of our fpring birds of paffage, and I think is not defcribed. It commonly continues 
with us until the middle or the end of April, at which time the Apple and the Pear trees are in bloom. Thefe blof- 
foms, during fome particular feafons, are remarkably infefted by a fpecies of Chermes, which proves very deftruc- 
tive to the fruit. By feeding on thefe devouring infers, the Fringilla pinus is one of the moft ufeful of our birds. 
This bird, the Fringilla triftis, my Fringilla exilis, and the Fringilla cannabina? together with the Fringilla Car- 
duelis of the old world, all belong to the fame natural genus, or family. They feem, in fome refpedls, to con- 
ftitute a genus diftindt from the Fringilla. 
AS thefe Fragments profefs to contain fome ufeful obfervations,! I think this a proper place to obferve, that many 
of the birds of Pennfylvania, and other parts of the United-States, are fo extremely ufeful to man, by deftroying 
infers and reptiles of various kinds, that they ought ftudioufly to be preferved, if not by the Laws, at leaft by the 
Good-Sense, of the country. It would require many obfervations to give a complete lift and hiftory of thefe 
Useful Birds. I am not in poffeflion of a fufficient quantity of fads for this purpofe: but fome obfervations 
I can offer, as materials for future inquirers. 
It may, in the firft place, be obferved, that infeds appear to be the firft food of almoft all the birds of our country. 
The more I have inquired, the more I have been convinced, that almoft all birds live, in fome meafure, upon infeds. 
Even thofe fpecies which confume confiderable quantities of feeds, berries, and fruit, alfo confume large quantities 
of infeds : and there are reafons to believe, that others whofe principal food is the nedar of plants alfo live partly 
upon thefe infeds. Thus Mr. BrandisJ found the veftiges of infeds in the ftomach of the Trochilus, or Hum¬ 
ming-Bird, one of the laft birds one would have fufpeded of feeding on animal food. 
The greater number of our fmaller birds of the order of Paferes^ feem to demand our attention and protedion. 
Some of them feed pretty entirely upon infeds, and others upon a mixed food, that is, infeds and the vegetable 
feeds, &c. Many of them contribute much to our pleafure by the melody of their notes. I believe the injury they do 
us is but fmall compared to the good they render us. I fhall mention, under fix different heads, a few of the ufe¬ 
ful birds of this and fome other orders. 
I. Mufcicapa acadica of Gmelin ? This is the Leffer Crefted Flycatcher of Pennant. It is called in Pennfylvania 
the Leffer or Wood-Pewe. This little bird builds in woods and in forefts. After the young have left the nefts, 
the parents condud them to the gardens and habitations of men. Here the whole brood dwells in trees near the 
houfes, where they are fed with the common houfe-fly, and other infeds, that are caught by the old birds. The 
young ones are foon capable of obtaining their food in the fame way. This fpecies of Mufcicapa vifits us in the 
fpring, and commonly continues with us until late in September, when it retires foutherly to winter. 
II. The Motacilla Sialis, or Blue-Bird, feeds principally, if not entirely, upon infeds, both fuch as are flying and 
and fuch as are reptile. It is faid they eat currants. 
♦ Reverend Dr, Walker, of Edinburgh, f See the motto, in the Title-Page, t Sec the article Trochilus in Gmelin’s edition of the Syftema Naturx. Tom. I. P. 48^. 
F 
