176 SUBSISTENCE OF BIRDS IN WINTER. disqualify me for a naturalist; for, when those fits are upon me, I lose all the pleasing notices and little intimations arising from rural sounds; and May is to me as silent and mute, with respect to the notes of birds, &c. as August. My eyesight is, thank God, quick and good; but with respect to the other sense, I am, at times, disabled, And Wisdom at one entrance quite shut out. LETTER LXIII. TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. Ir is matter of curious inquiry to trace out how those species of soft-billed birds, that continue with us the winter through, subsist during the dead months. The imbecility of birds seems not to be the only reason why they shun the rigour of our winters; for the robust wry-neck (so much resembling the hardy race of woodpeckers) migrates, while the feeble little golden-crowned wren, that shadow of a bird, braves our severest frosts, without availing himself of houses or villages, to which most of our winter birds crowd in distressful seasons, while he keeps aloof in fields and woods; but perhaps this may be the reason why they may often perish, and why they are almost as rare as any bird we know. * I have no reason to doubt, but that the soft-billed birds, which winter with us, subsist chiefly on insects in their aurelia state. All the species of wagtails, in severe weather, haunt shallow streams, near their spring-heads, where they never freeze; and, by wading, pick out the aurelias of the genus phryganeæ, &c. Hedge-sparrows frequent sinks and gutters in hard weather, where they pick up crumbs and other sweepings; and in mild weather, they procure worms, which are stirring every month in the year, as any one may see, that will only be at the trouble of taking a candle to a grass-plot on any mild winter's night. Redbreasts and wrens, in the winter, haunt outhouses, stables, and barns, where they find spiders and flies, that have laid themselves up during the cold season. But This bird inhabits Britain, from the Landsend to the Shetland Islands, as also Ireland and the Isle of Man. It is sometimes migratory. See our note, page 42.- ED. + See Derham's Physico- Theology, p. 235. Both redbreasts and wrens approach villages and towns in winter, and will eat crumbs of bread, and other farinaceous substances. We the grand support of the soft-billed birds in winter is that infinite profusion of aurelia of the lepidoptera ordo, which is fastened to the twigs of trees and their trunks; to the pales and walls of gardens and buildings; and is found in every cranny and cleft of rock or rubbish, and even in the ground itself. Every species of titmouse winters with us; they have what I call a kind of intermediate bill, between the hard and the soft, between the Linnæan genera of fringilla and motacilla. One species alone spends its whole time in the woods and fields, never retreating for succour, in the severest seasons, to houses and neighbourhoods,—and that is the delicate longtailed titmouse, which is almost as minute as the goldencrowned wren: but the blue titmouse, or nun, (parus cæruleus,) the cole-mouse, (parus ater,) the great black-headed titmouse, (fringillago,) and the marsh titmouse, (parus palustris,) all resort, at times, to buildings; and in hard weather particularly. The great titmouse, driven by stress of weather, much frequents houses; and, in deep snows, I have seen this bird, while it hung with its back downwards, (to my no small delight and admiration,) draw straws lengthwise from out the eaves of thatched houses, in order to pull out the flies that were concealed between them, and that in such numbers that they quite defaced the thatch, and gave it a ragged appearance.+ The blue titmouse, or nun, is a great frequenter of houses, and a general devourer. Besides insects, it is very fond of have seen these birds feeding along with domestic poultry, during snow storms, and even in frosty weather; on which occasions they become very tame.-ED. *We have never heard of this beautiful little bird approaching the habitations of man during storms, although its congeners are as familiar as the robin during a nard winter, and will feed on bread, or other farinaceous diet. In the severe spring of 1824, great numbers, of varicus species, visited our grounds, and remained close to the house during the time the snow lay, mixing and feeding with the poultry. We have more than once seen a little hero of a blue titmouse disputing the right of a hen to feed from the same dish with him. In Loudon's Magazine, a correspondent says that this species destroys bees, "which it effects by rapping with its bill at the entrance of the hive, and killing the insects as they come out. I was informed that a whole hive was in this manner quickly destroyed."-ED. Mr Gavin Inglis, of Strathendry Bleachfield, near Leslie, Fife, informed us, that he saw sparrows similarly employed on the thatch of one of his stacks; and that, finding their efforts ineffectual when exerted singly, they accomplished their end by uniting their strength, several of them hung to one straw, and thus pulled it out. -ED. M flesh; for it frequently picks bones on dunghills; it is a vast admirer of suet, and haunts butchers' shops. When a boy, I have known twenty in a morning caught with snap mousetraps, baited with tallow or suet. It will also pick holes in apples left on the ground, and be well entertained with the seeds on the head of a sunflower. The blue, marsh, and great titmice will, in very severe weather, carry away barley and oat straws from the sides of ricks. How the wheatear and whin-chat support themselves in winter, cannot be so easily ascertained, since they spend their time on wild heaths and warrens; the former especially, where there are stone quarries: most probable it is, that their maintenance arises from the aureliæ of the lepidoptera ordo, which furnish them with a plentiful table in the wilderness. LETTER LXIV. TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. SELBORNE, March 9, 1775. DEAR SIR,-Some future faunist, a man of fortune, will, I hope, extend his visits to the kingdom of Ireland; a new field, and a country little known to the naturalist. * He will not, it is to be wished, undertake that tour unaccompanied by a botanist, because the mountains have scarcely been sufficiently examined; and the southerly counties of so mild an island may possibly afford some plants little to be expected within the British dominions.† A person of a thinking turn of mind will draw many just remarks from the modern improvements of that *Among the newly described species indigenous to these kingdoms, is Sabine's snipe, scolopax Sabini, which was discovered in Ireland. It has now been identified as a native of that country. — ED. In Cunnemara, a wild district of Galway, Ireland, Mr Mackay of Dublin discovered the erica Mediterranea, growing on a declivity, by a stream, in boggy ground, at the foot of Urrisbeg mountain, occupying a space of about half a mile; and also the Menzièsia polifolia. These two plants had not before been found in Britain or Ireland, being only known to the botanist as indigenous to the south of Europe; and Mr Bree discovered the iris tuberosa near Cork. The eriocaulon septangulare abounds in all the small lakes of Cunnemara. The rare arabis ciliata, the Menzièsia polifolia, the saxifraga umbrosa, so well known as London pride, are also reckoned among its natives; the arenaria ciliata has been found on Ben Bulbew, and the rosa Hibernica in the vicinity of Belfast. The arbutus unedo, or snowberry tree, contributes much to the beauty of Killarney, where the elegant pinguicula grandiflora is also found, and to be met with nowhere else. - -ED. country, both in arts and agriculture, where premiums obtained long before they were heard of with us. The manners of the wild natives, their superstitions, their prejudices, their sordid way of life, will extort from him many useful reflections. He should also take with him an able draughtsman: for he must, by no means, pass over the noble castles and seats, the extensive and picturesque lakes and waterfalls, and the lofty, stupendous mountains, so little known, and so engaging to the imagination, when described and exhibited in a lively manner. Such a work would be well received. As I have seen no modern map of Scotland, I cannot pretend to say how accurate or particular any such may be: but this I know, that the best old maps of that kingdom are very defective. The great obvious defect that I have remarked in all maps of Scotland that have fallen in my way is, a want of a coloured line, or stroke, that shall exactly define the just limits of that district called the Highlands.* Moreover, all the great avenues * The Highlands of Scotland are separated from that portion of North Britain termed the Lowlands, by a lofty range of granitic mountains, called the Grampians, which is the only line of demarkation between these distinct divisions of the kingdom. The physical structure of this chain is as remarkable as the general direction is striking, regular, and continuous, forming a grand natural boundary of sublime and romantic peaks, commencing north of the river Don, in the county of Aberdeen, and intersecting the kingdom in a diagonal direction, till it terminates in the south-west, beyond Ardmore, in the county of Dunbarton. This barrier presents a bold, rocky, and precipitous aspect. Many places of the south front consist of a species of breccia. In the centre, and following the range, is a bed of limestone, of vast extent, which contains many strata of slate, and a marble which takes a fine polish, the prevailing colours of which are blue, green, and brown, intermixed with streaks of pure white. A very valuable quarry of green marble has been recently wrought in Glentilt. In the districts of Fortingall, Strathfillan, and Glenlyon, quantities of lead and silver ore have been found. Over the whole of this great range of mountains are numerous detached masses of red and blue granite, containing garnets, amethysts, aqua-marines, rock-crystals, and pebbles of great beauty and variety. In this fine chain, there are many summits of considerable altitude, as Benlomond, Schiehallion, and Benlawers. From these, the views are extensive, wild, and magnificent : There the boundless eye might sail, Here you have a wide fertile valley, and there the rugged and precipitous fastness of some sublime cliffs, on whose tops the golden eagle holds undisputed sway, with nought to disturb the repose of the solitude but the notes of the ptarmigan; while the white hare may be noticed stealing slowly along the bottom of the cliff. -ED. to that mountainous and romantic country want to be well distinguished. The military roads formed by General Wade, are so great and Roman-like an undertaking, that they well merit attention. My old map, Moll's map, takes notice of Fort William ; but could not mention the other forts, that have been erected long since; therefore, a good representation of the chain of forts should not be omitted. The celebrated zigzag up the Coryarich must not be passed over. Moll takes notice of Hamilton and Drumlanrig, and such capital houses; but a new survey, no doubt, should represent every seat and castle remarkable for any great event, or celebrated for its paintings, &c. Lord Breadalbane's seat and beautiful policy are too curious and extraordinary to be omitted. The seat of the Earl of Eglintoun, near Glasgow, is worthy of notice. The pine plantations of that nobleman are very grand and extensive indeed. LETTER LXV. TO THE HON. DAINES BARRINGTON. SELBORNE, June 8, 1775. DEAR SIR,-On September the 21st, 1741, being then on a visit, and intent on field diversions, I rose before daybreak; when I came into the enclosures, I found the stubbles and clover grounds matted all over with a thick coat of cobweb, in the meshes of which, a copious and heavy dew hung so plentifully that the whole face of the country seemed, as it were, covered with two or three setting-nets drawn one over another. When the dogs attempted to hunt, their eyes were so blinded and hoodwinked that they could not proceed, but were obliged to lie down and scrape the encumbrances from their faces with their fore feet; so that, finding my sport interrupted, I returned home, musing in my mind on the oddness of the occurrence. As the morning advanced, the sun became bright and warm, and the day turned out one of those most lovely ones which no season but the autumn produces,—cloudless, calm, serene, and worthy of the south of France itself. About nine, an appearance very unusual began to demand our attention, a shower of cobwebs falling from very elevated regions, and continuing, without any interruption, till the close of the day. These webs were not single filmy threads, floating in the air in all directions, but perfect flakes, or rags: some near an |