the hirundines have disappeared for some weeks, a few are occasionally seen again; sometimes, in the first week in November, and that only for one day. Do they not withdraw and slumber in some hiding-place during the interval? for we cannot suppose they had migrated to warmer climes, and so returned again for one day. Is it not more probable that they are awakened from sleep, and, like the bats, are come forth to collect a little food?* Bats appear at all * Concerning swallows, the reader will see, that Mr. White appears to incline more and more in favour of their torpidity, and against their migration. Mr. D. Barrington is still more positive on the same side of the question. See his Miscellanies, p. 225. The ancients generally mention this bird as wintering in Africa. See Anacreon, λy. ed. Brunk. p. 38. The Rhodians had a festival called xeλidóvia, when the boys brought about young swallows: the song which they sang may be seen in the works of Meursius, v. iii. p. 974. fol. Ἦλθε, Ήλθε, χελιδὼν καλὰς “Ωρας ἄγουσα, καὶ καλοὺς ̓Ενιαυτούς Ἐπὶ γαστέρα λευκὰ κ ̓ ἄπι νῶτα μέλαινα. "He comes! He comes! who loves to bear The swallow hither comes to rest His sable wings and snowy breast." And, alluding to this custom, Avienus (who may be considered only as a very bad translator of an excellent poem, the Periegesis of Dionysius,) thus says, v. 705, "Nam cum vere novo, tellus se dura relaxat, Culminibusque cavis, blandum strepit ales hirundo, Gens devota choros agitat!" When the hard earth grows soft in early spring, And on our roofs the noisy swallows sing. From a passage in the Birds of Aristophanes, we learn, that among the Greeks, the crane pointed out the time of sowing; the arrival of the kite, the time of sheep-shearing; and the swallow the time to put on summer clothes. According to the Greek Calendar of Flora, kept by Theophrastus at Athens, the Ornithian winds blow, and the swallow comes, between the 28th of February and the 12th of March; the kite and nightingale appear between the 11th and 26th of March; the cuckoo appears at the same time the young figs come out; thence his name. See STILLINGFLEET's Tracts on Natural History, p. 324. Mr. White says, p. 148, it is strange that rooks and starlings accompany each other but this is the case with other birds; the short-eared owl often accompanies flights of woodcocks in this country. See PENNANT's Scotland, i. p. 11. In Greece, the cuckoo migrates with the turtle flocks, thence they call him trigonokractes, or turtle-leader.-MITFORD. seasons through the autumn and spring months, when the thermometer is at 50, because then phalene and moths are stirring. These swallows looked like young ones. WHITE. Of their migration, the proofs are such as will scarcely admit of a doubt. Sir Charles Wager and Captain Wright saw vast flocks of them at sea,* when on their passage from one country to another. Our author, Mr. White, saw what he deemed the actual migration of these birds, and which he has described at p. 78 of his History of Selborne; and of their congregating together on the roofs of churches and other buildings, and on trees, previous to their departure, many instances occur; particularly, I once observed a large flock of house-martins on the roof of the church here at Catsfield, which acted exactly in the manner here described by Mr. White, sometimes preening their feathers, and spreading their wings to the sun, and then flying off all together, but soon returning to their former situation. The greatest part of these birds seemed to be young ones. MARKWICK. WAGTAILS.-While the cows are feeding in the moist low pasture, broods of wagtails, white and grey, run_round them, close up to their noses, and under their very bellies, availing themselves of the flies that settle on their legs, and probably finding worms and larve that are roused by the trampling of their feet. Nature is such an economist, that * I have had so many facts sent me of vast flocks of swallows having been seen at sea, and also of their settling on the rigging of ships, that the proofs of their migration cannot be doubted. Indeed I have frequently witnessed their departure from, and, in one instance, their arrival in this country. In the latter case they settled on the ground in Kew Park, about 11 o'clock in the morning, and were so much exhausted, that they suffered me to ride close to them. This was in April. The strong propensity of migratory birds to leave and return at the appointed season, plainly demonstrates that this unvarying principle within them is an instinct given them by a beneficent Creator at the very time best adapted for their flight, and which is apparently irresistible. Indeed, they seem to migrate as by a sudden impulse, and neither sooner or later than is expedient, almost at the saine time yearly; so that up to the hour of their flight, and as long as it is needful to stay for their preservation, they appear to have no thought of departure.-ED. the most incongruous animals can avail themselves of each other! Interest makes strange friendships. WHITE. Birds continually avail themselves of particular and unusual circumstances to procure their food; thus wagtails keep playing about the noses and legs of cattle as they feed, in quest of flies and other insects which abound near those animals; and great numbers of them will follow close to the plough to devour the worms, &c., that are turned up by that instrument. The red-breast attends the gardener in digging his borders; and will, with great familiarity and tameness, pick out the worms almost close to his spade, as I have frequently seen.* Starlings and magpies very often sit on the backs of sheep and deer to pick out their ticks. MARKWICK. WRYNECKS.-These birds appear on the grass-plots and walks; they walk a little as well as hop, and thrust their bills into the turf, in quest, I conclude, of ants, which are their food. While they hold their bills in the grass, they draw our their prey with their tongues, which are so long as to be coiled round their heads. WHITE. GROSBEAK.-Mr. B. shot a cock grosbeak, which he had observed to haunt his garden for more than a fortnight. I began to accuse this bird of making sad havoc among the buds of the cherries, gooseberries, and wall-fruit of all the neighbouring orchards. Upon opening its crop, or craw, no buds were to be seen; but a mass of kernels of the stones of fruits. Mr. B. observed, that this bird frequented the spot where plum-trees grow; and that he had seen it with somewhat hard in its mouth, which it broke with difficulty; these were the stones of damsons. The Latin ornithologists call this bird coccothraustes, i. e. berry-breaker, because with its large horny beak it cracks and breaks the shells of stone fruits for the sake of the seed or kernel. Birds of this sort are rarely seen in England, and only in winter. WHITE. Rooks may be seen following close upon a plough at work, to feed upon any grubs or worms which may be turned up.-Ed. |
