I perceive there are more than one species of the motacilla trochilus; Mr Derham supposes, in Ray's Philosophical Letters, that he has discovered three. In these, there is again an instance of some very common birds that have as yet no English name.*

I think

Mr Stillingfleet makes a question whether the black-cap (motacilla atricapilla) be a bird of passage or not. there is no doubt of it; for, in April, in the first fine weather, they come trooping in all at once into these parts, but are never seen in the winter.+ They are delicate songsters.

Numbers of snipes breed every summer in some moory ground on the verge of this parish. It is very amusing to see the cock bird on wing at that time, and to hear his piping and humming notes.

I have had no opportunity yet of procuring any of those mice which I mentioned to you in town. The person that brought me the last says they are plenty in harvest, at which time I will take care to get more; and will endeavour to put the matter out of doubt whether it be a nondescript species or

not.

I suspect much there may be two species of water-rats. Ray says, and Linnæus after him, that the water-rat is webfooted behind. Now, I have discovered a rat on the banks of our little stream that is not web-footed, and yet is an excellent swimmer and diver: it answers exactly to the mus amphibius of Linnæus, (see Syst. Nat.) which, he says, “natat in fossis et urinatur." I should be glad to procure one" plantis palmatis." Linnæus seems to be in a puzzle about his mus amphibius, and to doubt whether it differs from his mus terrestris; which, if it be, as he allows, the "mus agrestis capite grandi brachyuros" of Ray, is widely different from the water-rat, both in size, make, and manner of life.

As to the falco, which I mentioned in town, I shall take the liberty to send it down to you into Wales; presuming on your candour, that you will excuse me if it should appear as familiar to you as it is strange to me. Though mutilated, "qualem dices . . antehac fuisse, tales cum sint reliquiæ!"

It haunted a marshy piece of ground in quest of wild ducks and snipes; but, when it was shot, had just knocked down a rook, which it was tearing in pieces. I cannot make it

*The three species are, the one mentioned in the text, the common willow-wren, and the least willow-wren, or chiff-chaff. - ED.

The black-cap is unquestionably migratory; it appears about the middle of April and retires in September. - ED.

answer to any of our English hawks; neither could I find any like it at the curious exhibition of stuffed birds in Spring Gardens. I found it nailed up at the end of a barn, which is the countryman's museum.

The parish I live in is a very abrupt uneven country, full of hills and woods, and therefore full of birds.

LETTER XI.

TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ.

SELBORNE, September 9, 1767.

It will not be without impatience that I shall wait for your thoughts with regard to the falco. As to its weight, breadth, &c. I wish I had set them down at the time; but, to the best of my remembrance, it weighed two pounds and eight ounces, and measured, from wing to wing, thirty-eight inches. Its cere and feet were yellow, and the circle of its eyelids a bright yellow. As it had been killed some days, and the eyes were sunk, I could make no good observation on the colour of the pupils and the irides.

The most unusual birds I ever observed in these parts were a pair of hoopoes, (upupa,) which came, several years ago, in the summer, and frequented an ornamented piece of ground, which joins to my garden, for some weeks. They used to march about in a stately manner, feeding in the walks, many times in the day, and seemed disposed to breed in my outlet; but were frighted and persecuted by idle boys, who never let them be at rest.*

*In Latham's General Synopsis, there is an account of a young hoopoe having been shot in May. These birds have been seen in many parts of Great Britain, from Devonshire to the north of Scotland. Some years ago, one was shot near Banff; and it has been killed in Devonshire and South Wales. Mr Selby says, "the specimen in my possession, and from which the figure in my illustrations is taken, was caught, after some severe weather, and overcome by fatigue, upon the sea coast of Northumberland, near Bamburgh Castle. The Rev. Percival Hunter says, they were frequently seen, during the brumal months, in various parts of Kent, in 1829. The upupa eops can only be reckoned an occasional visitant, its chief residence, during the summer months, being the south of Europe, from whence it migrates to Africa. Colonel Williamson, late of the 92d regiment, informed us, that it is to be met with, in vast numbers, near Ceuta, in Africa, opposite to Gibraltar, during the whole year. The nest is formed of bents, and lined with soft materials; it is built in the hollow of a tree, and is said to be extremely fetid. The eggs are four in number, bluish white, spotted with pale brown.-ED.

Three grossbeaks (loxia coccothraustes) appeared, some years ago, in my fields, in the winter; one of which I shot. Since that, now and then one is occasionally seen in the same dead season. *

A crossbill (loxia curvirostra) was killed last year in this neighbourhood.+

Our streams, which are small, and rise only at the end of the village, yield nothing but the bull's-head, or miller's-thumb, (gobius fluviatilis capitatus,) the trout, (trutta fluviatilis,) the eel, (anguilla,) the lampern, (lampætra parva et fluviatilis,) and the stickleback, (pisciculus aculeatus.‡)

He

*This is the hawfinch of British naturalists; the fringilla coccothraustes of Temminck; and is only an occasional autumnal visitant, continuing with us till the month of April. It seldom visits the northern counties. There is, however, one instance recorded by Mr T. F. Loudon, in the first volume of the Magazine of Natural History, p. 374. says, "On the 14th May, 1828, the nest of a hawfinch was taken in an orchard belonging to Mr Waring, at Chelsfield, Kent. The old female was shot on the nest, which was of a slovenly, loose form, and shallow, not being so deep as those of the greenfinch or linnet, and was placed against the large bough of an apple tree, about ten feet from the ground. It was composed externally of dead twigs and a few roots, mixed with coarse white moss, or lichen, and 'lined with horse hair and a little fine, dried grass. The eggs were five in number, about the size of a skylark's, but shorter and rounder, and spotted with bluish ash and olive brown, some of the spots inclining to dusky, or blackish brown. The markings were variously distributed on the different eggs.' It is a native of Italy, Germany, Sweden, and South of France.ED.

The crossbill is only an occasional visitant in Britain, and generally appear in large flocks. Mr Selby mentions that, in June, 1821, a vast number visited Britain, and spread themselves through the country in all places where fir trees were abundant, the cones of which being their principal food. These consisted chiefly of females. A pretty large flock made its appearance in the neighbourhood of Ambleside, Westmoreland, in November, 1828. Their favourite haunt was a plantation of young larches. The crossbill is a native of Northern Europe. -ED.

There are five species of sticklebacks inhabiting the British streams, three of which were discovered by Mr Yarrel. In the Magazine of Natural History, we have a curious account of the pugnacious propensities of these little animals. 66 Having, at various times," says a correspondent, "kept these little fish during the spring, and part of the summer months, and paid close attention to their habits, I am enabled, from my own experience, to vouch for the facts I am about to relate. I have generally kept them in a deal tub, about three feet two inches wide, and about two feet deep. When they are put in, for some time, probably a day or two, they swim about in a shoal, apparently exploring their new habitation. Suddenly one will take possession of the tub, or, as it will sometimes happen, the bottom, and will instantly commence an attack upon his companions; and, if any of them venture to oppose his sway, a regular and most furious battle ensues. They swim round and round,