perament of the atmosphere, or a perceptible transition in their own bodies, may force them away, and prompt them to change their climate, in order to obtain what is more agreeable to them. Mr. Stillingfleet saith, the cuckow is compelled here by that constitution of air, which causes the fig-tree to put forth its leaves. From the coincidence of the first appearance of summer birds of passage, this ingenious writer would establish a natural calendar in our rural economy.*

Pennant is of opinion there is only a partial migration of these birds; he thinks a few of them take shelter in hollow trees, and lie torpid, till animated by unusual warm weather. He says, he has two evidences of their being heard to sing as early as February, but they were not heard long; chilled again, he supposes, into torpidity.

I cannot coincide with him; it is indisputable there are instances of cuckows appearing in winter, but they are very rare and uncommon; and we may reasonably suppose, that when a straggler is seen in that severe season, it was either bewildered in its passage, or was hatched too late to take its flight with the rest of the genus.

The turtle-dove (which we are next to consider) comes hither in the spring, and goes away again in autumn. Their winter retreat is in the warm southern climes, where they breed. These birds arrive here in vast flocks; they go off in the same manner, and few or none remain in our northern countries during the winter, unless they are kept in aviaries or cages. It is supposed many of these spend the dreary season in Egypt, and other parts of Africa.

Storks visit our island in the spring, and go off again early in the autumnal season. Naturalists are at a loss where these birds go when they quit this climate; but it is pretty certain they steer their course toward the southern countries. The periodical journeys of the stork were taken notice of by the antediluvians; and, indeed, almost every naturalist of antiquity gives an account of their constant and regular migrations. These birds do not all fly to the same country; and it is very remarkable they always take their flight by night. Belon informs us, they are common in the winter time in Egypt, and other parts of Africa. Some say, that when they go away, the stork, which arrives last to the place of rendezvous, is killed on the spot; but, in all probability, fris is not grounded on fact, but is only the

spawn of superstitious credulity.

Calendar of Flora.

When they leave Europe, they gather together in vast flocks. Being thus assembled, they will continue for some days in the same place, chattering and making a great noise, as if debating of the method to proceed; then being silent for some time, after a signal given, they all fly off, fetch many great rounds near the earth, and then gradually ascend, still mounting higher and higher, till at length the great cloud, which a few moments ago darkened the atmosphere, is quite imperceptible. The celebrated Thomson has given such a fine and beautiful description of the passage of the storks, that we cannot withhold it from our readers.

Where the Rhine loses his majestic force

In Belgian plains, won from the raging deep,
By diligence amazing, and the strong
Unconquerable band of liberty,

The stork assembly meets: for many a day
Consulting deep and various, ere they take
Their arduous voyage through the liquid sky.
And now their rout design'd, their leaders chose,
Their tribes adjusted, clean'd their vigorous wings,
And many a circle, many a short essay

Wheel'd round and round, in congregation full
The figur'd flight ascends; and riding high,
Th' aerial billow mixes with the clouds.

SEASONS, Autumn, 1.859.

The crane stays here somewhat longer than the stork, seldom deserting Europe till the middle of September. These birds are found in Lincolnshire, and many other parts of England; but the cold arctic region is their favourite abode. They come down into the more southern parts of Europe, rather as visitants than inhabitants; yet it is not easily ascer tained, how they portion out their time to the different parts of the world. Like storks, they migrate in immense flocks, and return in like manner. In Orleans, in France, October 1753, there were several thousands of them seen passing from the north to the south. Gesner assures us, that the cranes usually begin to quit Germany from about the 11th of September to the 17th of October; from thence they are seen steering southward in numbers incredible. Redi informs us, they arrive in Tuscany a short time after. In the severity of winter, it is not unlikely but they may advance southward, still nearer the line.

When they migrate, they soar to an imperceptible height, and observe great regularity in their flight. Milton, in his Paradise Lost, book 7, 1. 426, has elegantly expressed this circumstance.

Thus they, rang'd in figure, wedge their way,
Intelligent of seasons, and set forth
Their airy caravan high over seas

Flying, and over lands with mutual wing
Easing their flight: so steers the prudent crane
Her annual voyage, borne on winds, the air

Floats as they pass, fann'd with unnumber'd plumes.

The arrival of these birds of passage is wonderfully regu lar. Jedi tells us, that in the fields near Pisa, in Italy, they appeared on the 20th of February, in 1667; on the 24th, in 1668; the 17th, in 1669; and the 15th, in 1670.

The goat-sucker, by some called caprimulgus, is the latest summer emigrant we have. It does not reach us till the middle of May, and invariably retires before the latter end of August. In summer it is an inhabitant of Derbyshire, Shropshire, Yorkshire, and Wiltshire. It constantly flies by night, and is supposed, by Klein and many others, to be a species of swallow. This bird's winter residence is in some of the southern countries. As it disappears about the same time as the swift, it is probable it flies to the same region.

The quail is a regular emigrant, though it has been conjectured that it sleeps during the winter in some parts of Great Britain. Annually they are seen crossing the Mediterranean in numbers immense. When they forsake this island, like cranes, they go off in the night, and usually fly off in pairs. The quail is so tender a bird, that it cannot bear cold countries.

It appears surprising, that quails, which are so ill adapted for long flights, should attempt to fly over the wide extensive ocean; but it is certain they do. Was it not confirmed by undeniable attestations, it is so very extraordinary, that we could not credit it. Bellonius assures us, that when he went from Rhodes to Alexandria, in autumn, several quails, flying, from the north to the south, were taken in his ship. Sailing at spring the contrary way, from the south to the north, he observed them on the return; when many of them were taken in the same manner. This account coincides. with many others to the same purpose. The quail generally chooses a north wind for these nocturnal adventures, the south being very detrimental, as it retards their flight, by moistening their plumage.

As we have now distinctly enumerated the whole tribe of the feathered nations which visit us in the spring, and desert us at the approach of winter; as we have marked the stated times of their going and coming, followed them in their aerial journeys, and traced them to their respective regions,

we shall now turn our view to our winter emigrants, and endeavour to satisfy the curiosity of the reader, by shewing the retreats of the fieldfare, the red-wing, the woodcock, snipe, &c. and leading him to those bleak and frozen climes, where they constantly and regularly emigrate.

OF

WINTER BIRDS OF PASSAGE.

WHEN these birds leave Europe, they retire to the northern parts of the continent, where they breed, and reside during the sumeer months. At the return of winter they are driven southerly in quest of food, of which they are deprived by the ice and snow in those frigid regions.

Immense flocks of fieldfares and red-wings appear here about the middle of October, and leave us in the spring. It is imagined that those which visit our island have taken their flight from Sweden, Norway, and the neighbouring countries. These birds are tempted here by the berries which are found in great plenty in most parts of England, and which make a principal part of their food. Some of this tribe, however, are in some climates constant inhabitants, and never shift their quarters; those, for instance, of Prussia and Russia not only breed, but winter in those countries.

The fieldfare and red-wing (the Royston crow excepted) are the only birds of passage that constantly and unanimously leave us at the commencement of winter. And it is very extraordinary that these should leave us, there being no absolute necessity for their migration, either on the score of provision or climate. The place of their retirement is Sweden, and other cold countries, in this latitude; here they annually breed and pass their summers. When they steer

* A convincing proof that these winter emigrants come here for food, is, because the numbers that appear annually are very disproportionate. In some seasons, when there is a great produce of hawthorn berries, every bush swarms with them; when there is a scarcity, it is remarked, very few of these birds are to be seen in this country. By this we may suppose, that they wander from country to country, and settle in that only where they find a good stock of food.

their course back to Great-Britain, they company with redwings, and make short flights, passing from hedge to hedge, and country to country, feeding as they go, till at length they reach our island. It is certain they spend the summers in Norway, Sweden, aud the adjacent countries, because they are yearly seen passing and repassing from and to the northern parts in great numbers.

In the spring, when they quit Europe, conscious of the superior coldness of the boreal climes, they do not hasten thither immediately, but sail gradually on through the more moderate countries of Germany and Poland. When the severity of the cold is abated, and proper food may be met with for their subsistence, they journey on more expeditiously, and arrive at the northern regions. Here they disperse themselves over the face of the landscape, and remain in peace and plenty, till they are driven back again by the rigorous severity of the season. riven ha

The coming of these birds may then be pretty well ac counted for. Impelled by an innate principle of self-preservation, they go northward or southward in one simple tract. When their food fails them here, they depart elsewhere, and return again as soon as it is renewed. They do not arrive in France till the beginning of December.

We cannot pretend to determine why these birds leave us in the spring; nor do we find that any other naturalist can assign any just reason for their departure. At the time of their migration one would naturally imagine, they would continue, and build their nests with us, as there is no obsta cle with respect to food and climate. It is certain, however, that the majority, if not the whole tribe, depart to other countries for this purpose.

Perhaps it may be suggested that they do not leave us till the haws and other berries are all gone, and they are under a necessity to go in quest of subsistence elsewhere. This, however, is of no importance, unless it can be proved that the northern climes, to which they retire, afford them a fresh supply; which, in all probability, they cannot. Possibly, therefore, the food of these birds in summer is not the same as in the winter. But if we allow this conjecture, it is very ineffectual in solving the question, Why do they leave us?

*The fieldfare and red-wing were the Turdi of the Romans, which they fattened with figs and bread mixed together. Varro tells us that they were birds of passage, common in autumn, and departing in the spring. In those times they must have been exceedingly plenty, for they were kept by thousands in their fattening aviaries.-Kramer Elench. 361. Varro, lib. 3, c, 5.