The natural history of Selborne . in any one district. These, I observe, when thespring advances, assemble on some tree in the sun- OF SELBORNE. 57 shine, and join all in a gentle sort of chirping, as ifthey were about to break up their winter-quarters,and betake themselves to their proper sumnnerhomes. It is well known, at least, that the swal-lows and the fieldfares do congregate with a gentletwittering before they make their respective depar-ture. You may depend on it that the bunting, emlerizamiliaria^ does not leave this country in the January, 1767, I saw several dozens of them
The natural history of Selborne . in any one district. These, I observe, when thespring advances, assemble on some tree in the sun- OF SELBORNE. 57 shine, and join all in a gentle sort of chirping, as ifthey were about to break up their winter-quarters,and betake themselves to their proper sumnnerhomes. It is well known, at least, that the swal-lows and the fieldfares do congregate with a gentletwittering before they make their respective depar-ture. You may depend on it that the bunting, emlerizamiliaria^ does not leave this country in the January, 1767, I saw several dozens of them, inthe midst of a severe frost, among the bushes onthe Downs near Andover: in our woodland encloseddistricts it is a rare bird. Wagtails, both white and yellow, are with us allthe winter. Quails crowd to our southern coast,and are often killed in numbers by people that goon purpose. Mr. Stillingfleet, in his Tracts, says that, ifthe Wheatear (cBnanthe) doth not quit England, it. certainly shifts places ; for about harvest they arenot to be found where there was before great plen- 58 NATURAL HISTORY ty of them. This will account for the vast that are caught about that time on the SouthDowns near Lewes, where they are esteemed a del-icacy. There have been shepherds, I have beencredibly informed, that have made many pounds ina season by catching them in traps. And, thoughsuch multitudes are taken, I never saw (and I amwell acquainted with those parts) above two orthree at a time; for they are never may, perhaps, migrate in general, and forthat purpose draw towards the cost of Sussex inautumn ; but that they do not all withdraw I amsure, because I see a few stragglers in many coun-ties at all times of the year, especially about war-rens and stone-quarries. I have no acquaintance at present among thegentlemen of the navy, but have written to a friend,who was a sea-chaplain in the late war, desiringhim to look into his minutes with respe
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