the compliment, and expect to have my curiosity gratified by your living much more to the north.

For many years past, I have observed, that towards Christmas vast flocks of chaffinches have appeared in the fields-many more, I used to think, than could be hatched in any one neighbourhood. But, when I came to observe them more narrowly, I was amazed to find that they seemed to me to be almost all hens.* I communicated my suspicions to some intelligent neighbours, who, after taking pains about the matter, declared that they also thought them mostly all females; at least fifty to one. This extraordinary occurrence brought to my mind the remark of Linnæus, that "before winter, all their hen chaffinches migrate through Holland into Italy." Now, I want to know from some curious person in the north, whether there are any large flocks of these finches with them in the winter, and of which sex they mostly consist? For, from such intelligence one might be able to judge whether our female flocks migrate from the other end of the island, or whether they come over to us from the continent.

We have, in the winter, vast flocks of the common linnets, more, I think, than can be bred in any one district. These, I observe, when the spring advances, assemble on some tree in the sunshine, and join all in a gentle sort of chirping, as if they were about to break up their winter quarters, and betake themselves to their proper summer homes. It is well known, at least, that the swallows and the fieldfares do congregate with a gentle twittering before they make their respective departures.

You may depend on it that the bunting, emberiza miliaria, does not leave this country in the winter. In January, 1767, I saw several dozens of them, in the midst of a severe frost, among the bushes on the downs near Andover: in our woodland enclosed districts it is a rare bird.†

* Cock chaffinches are found all the year through, although they probably make partial migrations. One is now feeding (January 5th) before my window, and as a boy I have constantly taken them when out batfowling.-ED.

Sir W. Jardine says, that, a proportion of the common buntings do not migrate; but we certainly receive a considerable number at the great general migration, at the commencement of winter, most probably from Sweden and Norway. They generally breed and frequent unenclosed countries, and assemble in flocks during winter.-ED.

Wagtails, both white and yellow,* are with us all the winter. Quails crowd to our southern coast, and are often killed in numbers by people that go on purpose.

Mr. Stillingfleet, in his Tracts, says, that" if the wheatear (ananthe) does not quit England, it certainly shifts places; for, about harvest, they are not to be found where there was before great plenty of them." This well accounts for the vast quantities that are caught about that time on the south downs near Lewes, † where they are esteemed a delicacy. There have been shepherds, I have been credibly informed, that have made many pounds in a season by catching them in traps. And though such multitudes are taken, I never saw (and I am well acquainted with those parts) above two or three at a time; for they are never gregarious. They may perhaps migrate in general; and, for that purpose, draw towards the coast of Sussex in autumn; but that they do not all withdraw I am sure, because I see a few stragglers in many counties, at all times of the year, especially about warrens and stone quarries.

I have no acquaintance at present among the gentlemen of the navy, but have written to a friend, who was a sea chaplain in the late war, desiring him to look into his minutes, with respect to birds that settled on their rigging during their voyage up or down the Channel. What Hasselquist says on that subject is remarkable; there were little short-winged birds frequently coming on board the ship all the way from our Channel quite up to the Levant, especially before squally weather.

What you suggest with regard to Spain is highly

* Wagtails certainly perform partial migrations. I lose sight of them in my neighbourhood for weeks together. A curious fact may here be related of them. A pair of pied wagtails built their nest last summer in a vacuum under a sleeper of the Brighton railway, near the terminus at that place. Trains at all times of the day were passing close to the nest, but in this situation the young were hatched and reared. A gentleman in the neighbourhood who watched the progress of the birds in their nidification, can vouch for the truth of this anecdote.-ED.

The Lewes shepherds here informed me that the wheatear has nearly forsaken their downs. I find it in Bushy-park all the year round, where they breed in the rabbit-burrows.-ED.

Many naval men have assured me of the fact of migratory birds settling on the rigging of their ships. Indeed the circumstance may now be considered as indisputable.-ED.

probable. The winters of Andalusia are so mild, that, in all likelihood, the soft-billed birds that leave us at that season may find insects sufficient to support them there.

Some young man, possessed of fortune, health, and leisure, should make an autumnal voyage into that kingdom, and should spend a year there, investigating the natural history of that vast country. Mr. Willughby* passed through that kingdom on such an errand; but he seems to have skirted along in a superficial manner and an ill humour, being much disgusted at the rude dissolute manners of the people.

I have no friend left now at Sunbury to apply to about the swallows roosting on the aits of the Thames; nor can I hear any more about those birds which I suspected were merula torquatœ.

As to the small mice,† I have farther to remark, that

* See Ray's Travels, p. 466.

+ The mus messorius of Shaw is the least of British quadrupeds. Mr. White has the merit of discovering it, and has added some interesting information regarding it in his different letters. The Rev. W. Bingley, in his Memoirs of British Quadrupeds, has the following very interesting remarks, illustrating the habits of an individual for some time kept alive in his possession:-" About the middle of September, 1804, I had a female harvest-mouse given to me. It was put into a dormouse cage immediately when caught, and a few days afterwards produced eight young ones. I entertained some hope that the little animal would have nursed these and brought them up; but, having been disturbed in her removal about four miles from the country, she began to destroy them, and I took them from her. The young ones, at the time I received them (not more than two or three days old), must have been at least equal in weight to the mother. After they were removed, she became reconciled to her situation; and when there was no noise, would venture to come out of her hiding-place at the extremity of the cage, and climb about among the wires of the open part, before me. In doing this, I remarked that her tail was prehensile, and that, to render her hold the more secure, she generally coiled the extremity of it round one of the wires. The toes of all the feet were particularly long and flexile, and she could grasp the wires very firmly with any of them. She frequently rested on her hind feet, somewhat in the manner of the jerboa, for the purpose of looking about her; and, in this attitude, could extend her body at such an angle as at first greatly surprised me. She was a beautiful little animal, and her various attitudes in cleaning her face, head, and body, with her paws, were particularly graceful and elegant. For a few days after I received this mouse, I neglected to give it any water; but when I afterwards put some into the cage, she lapped it with great eagerness. After lapping, she always raised herself on her hind feet, and cleaned her head with her paws. She continued, even till the time of her death, exceedingly shy and timid; but whenever I put into the cage any