OF SELBORNE. 45 
Philosophical Letters, that he has discovered three. 
In these there is again an instance of some very 
common birds that have as yet no English name. 
Mr. Stillingfleet makes a question whether the 
lackcap (motacilla atricapilla) be a bird of passage 
or not. I think there is no doubt of it; for in 
April, in the first fine weather, they come trooping 
all at once into these parts, but are never seen in 
the winter. ‘They are delicate songsters. 
Numbers of snipes build every summer in some 
moory ground on the verge of this parish. It is 
very amusing to see the cock-bird on wing at that 
time, and to hear his piping and humming notes. 
I have had no opportunity yet of procuring any 
of those mice which I mentioned to you in town. 
The person that brought me the last says they are 
plenty in harvest, at which time’ I will take care to 
get more, and will endeavour to put the matter out 
of doubt whether it be a nondescript species or not. 
I suspect much there may be two species of 
Water-rats. Ray says, and Linneus after him, 
that the water-rat is web-footed behind. Now I 
have discovered a rat on the banks of our little 
if I 
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