86 NATURAL HISTORY 
strike up more than once or twice just at the report 
of the Portsmouth evening gun, which we can hear 
when the weather is still. It appears to me past 
all doubt that its notes are formed by organic im- 
pulse, by the powers of the parts of its windpipe, 
formed for sound, just as cats purr. You will cred- 
it me, I hope, when I assure you that, as my neigh- 
bours were assembled in an hermitage, on the side 
of a steep hill, where we drank tea, one of these 
churn-owls came and settled on the cross of that 
little straw edifice, and began to chatter, and con- 
tinued his note for many minutes; and we were all 
struck with wonder to find that the organs of that 
little animal, when put in motion, gave a sensible 
vibration to the whole building! ‘This bird also 
sometimes makes a small squeak, repeated four or 
five times; and I have observed that to happen 
when they have been pursuing each other through 
the boughs of a tree. 
It would not be at all strange if your bat, which 
you have procured, should prove a new one, since 
five species have been found in a neighbouring king- 
dom. ‘The great sort that I mentioned is certainly 
a nondescript: I saw but one this summer, and 
that I had no opportunity of taking. 
Your account of the Indian grass was enter- 
taining. Iam no angler myself; but inquiring of 
those that are what they supposed that part of their 
tackle to be made of, they replied, “ Of the intes- 
tines of a silkworm.” 
Though I must not pretend to great skill in en- 
tomology, yet I cannot say that I am ignorant of 
that kind of knowledge; I may now and then, per- 
haps, be able to furnish you with a little informas 
tion. 
