kind of birds (what few remained of them) did not depart as usual, but were seen lingering about till the beginning of June.
The best authority that we can have for the nidification of the birds above-mentioned in any district, is the testimony of faunists that have written professedly the natural history of particular countries. Now as to the fieldfare, Linnæus, in his "Fauna Suecica," says of it, that "maximis in arboribus nidificat;" and of the redwing he says, in the same place, that "nidificat in mediis arbusculis, sive sepibus: ova sex cœruleo-viridia maculis nigris variis" Hence we may be assured that fieldfares and redwings build in Sweden. Scopoli says, in his "Annus Primus," of the woodcock, that "nupta ad nos venit circà æquinoctium vernale;" meaning in Tyrol, of which he is a native. And afterwards he adds "nidificat in paludibus alpinis: ova ponit 3-5." It does not appear from Kramer that woodcocks breed at all in Austria; but he says, "Avis hæc septentrionalium provinciarum æstivo tempore incola est; ubi plerumque nidificat. Appropinquante hyeme australiores provincias petit; hinc circà plenilunium mensis Octobris plerumque Austriam transmigrat.Tunc rursùs circà plenilunium potissimum mensis Martii per Austriam matrimonio juncta ad septentrionales provincias redit." For the whole passage (which I have abridged) see "Elenchus," etc., p. 351. This seems to be a full proof of the migration of woodcocks; though little is proved concerning the place of breeding.
P.S.—There fell in the county of Rutland, in three weeks of this present very wet weather, seven inches and a half of rain, which is more than has fallen in any three weeks for these thirty years past in that part of the world. A mean quantity in that county for one year is twenty inches and a half.
NOTE TO LETTER VIII.
1 Every year several woodcocks' nests are found in Norfolk and Suffolk. While reading my Field last Saturday, May 31st, 1879, I came upon the following most interesting note:—
"I had a curious adventure with a woodcock last week. My keeper told me he had found the bird in a covert sitting on four eggs, and I went at once
with him to see it. The woodcock remained on its. nest perfectly motionless
