And I with the more
confidence advance this obvious remark, because my brother has
always found that some of his birds, and particularly the swallow
kind, are very sparing of their pains in crossing the Mediterranean:
for when arrived at Gibraltar, they do not
... rang'd in figure wedge their way,
... and set forth
Their airy caravan high over seas
Flying, and over lands with mutual wing
Easing their flight ...
MILTON.
but scout and hurry along in little detached parties of six or seven
in a company; and sweeping low, just over the surface of the land
and water, direct their course to the opposite continent at the
narrowest passage they can find. They usually slope across the bay
to the south-west, and so pass over opposite to Tangier, which, it
seems, is the narrowest space.
In former letters we have considered whether it was probable that
woodcocks in moon-shiny nights cross the German ocean from
Scandinavia. As a proof that birds of less speed may pass that sea,
considerable as it is, I shall relate the following incident, which,
though mentioned to have happened so many years ago, was
strictly matter of fact: -- As some people were shooting in the
parish of Trotton, in the county of Sussex, they killed a duck in that
dreadful winter 1708-9, with a silver collar about its neck,* on
which were engraven the arms of the king of Denmark.
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