abound till about Michaelmas, when they appeared no longer.
Subsist they cannot openly among us, and yet elude the eyes of the
inquisitive: and, as to their hiding, no man pretends to have found
any of them in a torpid state in the winter. But with regard to their
migration, what difficulties attend that supposition! that such
feeble bad fliers (who the summer long never flit but from hedge to
hedge) should be able to traverse vast seas and continents in order
to enjoy milder seasons amidst the regions of Africa!



Letter XIII
To Thomas Pennant, Esquire

Selborne, Jan. 22, 1768.

Sir,

As in one of your former letters you expressed the more
satisfaction from my correspondence on account of my living in
the most southerly county; so now I may return the compliment,
and expect to have my curiosity gratified by your living much more
to the north.

For many years past I have observed that towards Christmas vast
flocks of chaffinches have appeared in the fields; many more, I
used to think, than could be hatched in any one neighbourhood.
But, when I came to observe them more narrowly, I was amazed to
find that they seemed to be almost all hens. I communicated my
suspicions to some intelligent neighbours, who, after taking pains