LETTER I.

Selborne, June 30th, 1769.

Dear Sir,—When I was in town last month I partly engaged that I would sometimes do myself the honour to write to you on the subject of natural history; and I am the more ready to fulfil my promise, because I see you are a gentleman of great candour, and one that will make allowances, especially where the writer professes to be an out-door naturalist, one that takes his observations from the subject itself, and not from the writings of others.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE SUMMER BIRDS OF PASSAGE WHICH I HAVE DISCOVERED IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD, RANGED SOMEWHAT IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY APPEAR:—

RAII NOMINA. USUALLY APPEARS ABOUT
1. Wryneck. Jynx, sive Torquilla. The middle of March: harsh note.
2. Smallest willow-wren. Regulus non cristatus. March 23rd: chirps till September.
3. Swallow. Hirundo domestica. April 13th.
4. Martin. Hirundo rustica. Ditto.
5. Sand-martin. Hirundo riparia. Ditto.
6. Blackcap. Atricapilla. Ditto: a sweet, wild note.
7. Nightingale. Luscinia. Beginning of April.
8. Cuckoo. Cuculus. Middle of April.
9. Middle willow-wren. Regulus non cristatus. Ditto: a sweet, plaintive note.
10. Whitethroat. Ficedulæ affinis Ditto: mean note; sings on till September.
11. Redstart. Ruticilla. Ditto: more agreeable song.
12. Stone-curlew. Œdicnemus End of March: loud nocturnal whistle.
13. Turtle-dove. Turtur.
14. Grasshopper-lark. Alauda minima locustæ voce Middle April: a small sibilous note, till the end of July.
15. Swift. Hirundo apus. About April 27th.
16. Less reed-sparrow. Passer arundinaceus minor. A sweet polyglot, but hurrying; it has the notes of many birds.
17. Land-rail. Ortygometra. A loud, harsh note—crex, crex.
18. Largest willow wren. Regulus non cristatus. Cantat voce stridulâ locustæ; end of April, on the tops of high beeches.
19. Goat-sucker, or fern-owl. Caprimulgus. Beginning of May: chatters by night with a singular noise.
20. Fly-catcher. Stoparola. May 12th: a very mute bird: this is the latest summer bird of passage.

This assemblage of curious and amusing birds belongs to ten several genera of the Linnæan system, and are all of the ordo of passeres save the Jynx and Cuculus, which are picæ, and the Charadrius (Œdicnemus) and Rallus (Ortygometra), which are grallæ.

These birds, as they stand numerically, belong to the following Linnæan genera:—

1, Jynx. 13. Columba.
2,6,7,9,10,11,16,18, Motacilla. 17. Rallus.
3,4,5,15, Hirundo. 19. Caprimulgus.
8, Cuculus. 14. Alauda.
12, Charadrius. 20. Muscicapa.

Most soft-billed birds live on insects, and not on grain and seeds, and therefore at the end of summer they retire: but the following soft-billed birds, though insect-eaters, stay with us the year round:—

RAII NOMINA.
Redbreast, Wren, Rubecula. Passer troglodytes. These frequent houses, and haunt out-buildings in the winter: eat spiders.
Hedge-sparrow, Curruca. Haunt sinks for crumbs and other sweepings.
White-wagtail, Yellow-wagtail,
Grey-wagtail, Motacilla alba. Motacilla flava. Motacilla cinerea. These frequent shallow rivulets near the spring heads, where they never freeze: eat the aureliæ of Phryganea. The smallest birds that walk.
Wheatear, Œnanthe. Some of these are to be seen with us the winter through.
Whinchat,
Stone-chatter, Œnanthe secunda. Œnanthe tertia.
Golden-crowned wren, Regulus cristatus. This is the smallest British bird: haunts the tops of tall trees; stays the winter through.

A LIST OF THE WINTER BIRDS OF PASSAGE ROUND THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD, RANGED SOMEWHAT IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY APPEAR.

RAII NOMINA.
1. Ring-ousel, Merula torquata. This is a new migration, which I have lately discovered about Michaelmas week, and again about the 14th March.
2. Redwing, Turdus iliacus. About old Michaelmas.
3. Fieldfare, Turdus pilaris. Though a percher by day, roosts on the ground.
4. Royston-crow, Cornix cinerea. Most frequent on downs.
5. Woodcock, Scolopax. Appears about old Michaelmas.
6. Snipe, Gallinago minor. Some snipes constantly breed with us.
7. Jack-snipe, Gallinago minima.
8. Wood-pigeon, Œnas. Seldom appears till late; not in such plenty as formerly.
9. Wild-swan, Cygnus ferus. On some large waters.
10. Wild-goose, Anser ferus. )
11. Wild-duck, Anas torquata minor. )
12. Pochard, Anas fera fusca. )
13. Wigeon, Penelope. ) On our lakes and streams.
14. Teal, breeds with us in Wolmer Forest, Querquedula. )
15. Gross-beak, Coccothraustes. ) These are only wanderers that
16. Cross-bill, Loxia. ) appear occasionally, and are not
17. Silk-tail, Garrulus bohemicus. ) observant of any regular migration.

The birds, as they stand numerically, belong to the following Linnæan genera:—

1,2,3, Turdus. 9,10,11,12,13,14, Anas.
4, Corvus. 15,16, Loxia.
5,6,7, Scolopax. 17, Ampelis.
8, Columba.

Birds that sing in the night are but few.

Nightingale, Luscinia. “In shadiest covert hid.” Milton.
Woodlark, Alauda arborea. Suspended in mid air.
Less reed-sparrow, Passer arundinaceus minor. Among reeds and willows.

I should now proceed to such birds as continue to sing after Midsummer, but, as they are rather numerous, they would exceed the bounds of this paper: besides, as this is now the season for remarking on that subject, I am willing to repeat my observations on some birds concerning the continuation of whose song I seem at present to have some doubt.

I am, etc.