208 ON FEMALE ACQUIREMENTS. 



Sp. 83. Ch. morinellns, Dotterel ; found on Dartmoor ; 

 but rare. 



Sp. 84. Ch. hiaticula, ring Plover or sea Laik ; common 

 at Oreston, and similar situations, about autumn 

 and in the winter. 



Sp. 85. Ch. adicnemus, thick-knee Norfolk Plover ; 

 rare. 



The long-legged Plover (Ch. himantopus,) 

 is a straggling occasional visitor. The Sander- 

 ling ( Ch. calidris,) is also extremely rare in 

 this neighbourhood. 



PHILOPHYSICUS. 



ON FEMALE ACQUIREMENTS. 



MR. EDITOR, Having read, at various times, in your Magazine, 

 letters on the subject of single blessedness, between a " Bachelor" 

 and a correspondent signing himself " Theobald," I am induced to 

 offer a few remarks ; though being unaccustomed to writing, I feel 

 much diffidence at undertaking the task. 



I have felt some degree of surprise and, indeed I may almost say, 

 indignation, that the fair sex as you are pleased to term us, for I am 

 one of them, have read the observations of a bachelor without boldly 

 coming forward in their own defence ; I regard it as a duty incum- 

 bent upon the oppressed or neglected to state their grievances and 

 solicit redress; and wish that some more competent individual had 

 undertaken the office : perhaps many may have considered the ob- 

 servations of the bachelor as mere effusions of spleen ; which an- 

 best allowed to cool down of themselves ; others, perhaps, from ; 

 feeling of modesty, or at least, you will allow me the use of the term, 

 delicacy, have been deterred from espousing their own cause. But 

 it is more than likely that their education has not been such as to 

 place them at all on a footing with men of talent, or to enable them 

 to enter into controversy with them 



To your correspondent "Theobald" I have very little to say, ex- 

 cept that I am rather inclined to doubt his candour. I cannot help 

 thinking that he is too passionately fond of fishing ever to be passion- 

 ately fond of a wife. I entertain nevertheless a due sense of gratitude 

 towards him for having voluntarily come forward in our behalf. I 

 dare say he will make a good husband to a wife \vho could be con- 



