language, that without farther excuse I shall add his

translation also.

"Qualis speluncâ subitò commota Columba,

Cui domus, et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi,
Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis
Dat tecto ingentem-mox aere lapsa quieto,
Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas."

"As when a dove her rocky hold forsakes,

Rous'd, in a fright her sounding wings she shakes;
The cavern rings with clattering :-out she flies,
And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies:
At first she flutters :-but at length she springs
To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings."

I am, etc.

LETTERI

TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON

Selborne, June 30, 1769.

DEAR SIR, WHEN I was in town last month I partly engaged that I would sometime 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 which they appear:

13. Turtle-dove,

Turtur.

USUALLY APPEARS ABOUT

Middle of April: more agreeable song.

End of March: loud nocturnal whistle.

14. Grasshopper-lark, Alauda minima locustae Middle of April: a small

This assemblage of curious and amusing birds belongs to ten several genera of the Linnaean system; and are all of the ordo of passeres, save the jynx and cuculus, which are picae, and the charadrius (oedicnemus) and rallus (ortlygometra), which are grallae.

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

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 insecteaters, stay with us the year round:

Redbreast,

Wren,

RAII NOMINA.

Rubecula.

Passer troglodytes.

These frequent houses; and haunt outbuildings in the winter; eat spiders.

A List of the Winter Birds of Passage round this neighbourhood, ranged somewhat in the order in which they appear:

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

Nightingale,

Woodlark,

Loxia.

Ampelis.

Birds that sing in the night are but few.

Luscinia.

Alauda arborea.

"In shadiest covert hid."

-MILTON.

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.

LETTER II

TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON.

Selborne, Nov. 2, 1769.

DEAR SIR, WHEN I did myself the honour to write to you about the end of last June on the subject of natural history, I sent you a list of the summer-birds of passage which I have observed in this neighbourhood; and also a list of the winter-birds of passage: I mentioned besides those soft-billed birds that stay with us the winter through in the south of England, and those that are remarkable for singing in the night.

According to my proposal, I shall now proceed to such