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THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
USUALLY APPEARS ABOUT 
Less reed-sparrow. } A sweet polyglot, but hurrying; it has the notes 
of many birds. 
Landrail. A loud harsh note, crex, crex. 
Largest willow-wren. End of April, on the tops of high beeches. 
Beginning of May: chatters by night with a sin- 
gular noise. 
May 12th: a very mute bird; this is the latest 
summer bird of passage. 
Goatsucker, or fern-owl. 
Fly-catcher. } 
Most soft-billed birds live on insects, and not on grain and 
seeds ; and therefore at the end of summer they retire : but the 
following soft-billed birds, though insect-eaters, stay with us 
the year round : 
Redbreast. } These frequent houses ; and haunt out-buildings in 
Wren. the winter: eat spiders. 
Hedge-sparrow. Haunt sinks for crumbs and other sweepings. 
White-wagtail. ( These frequent shallow rivulets near the spring- 
Yellow-wagtail. 1 heads, where they never freeze: eat the aurelize 
Grey-wagtail. of Phryganea. ‘The smallest birds that walk. 
Wh } Some of these are to be seen with us the winter 
eatear. 
through. 
Whinchat. 
Stone-chatter. 
Golden-crowned wren. 
} This is the smallest British bird: haunts the tops 
of tall trees; stays the winter through. 
A list of the winter birds of passage round this neighbor- 
hood, 
onT AM FP WH DN 
ranged somewhat in the order in which they appear : 
This is a new migration, which I have lately dis- 
. Ring-ousel. | covered about Michaelmas week, and again 
about the r4th March. 
. Redwing. About old Michaelmas. 
. Fieldfare. Though a percher by day, roosts on the ground. 
. Royston-crow. Most frequent on downs. 
- Woodcock. Appears about old Michaelmas. 
. Snipe. Some snipes constantly breed with us. 
. Jack-snipe. 
Pe Wasdsiecon: Seldom appears till late; not in such plenty as 
formerly. 
. Wild-swan. On some large waters. 
. Wild-goose. 
