OF SELBORNE. 183 
city in a willow-wren, which had built in a bank in 
my fields. This bird a friend and myself had ob. 
served as she sat in her nest, but were particularly 
careful not to disturb her, though we saw she eyed 
us with some degree of jealousy. Some days after, 
as we passed that way, we were desircus of re- 
marking how this brood went on; but no nest could 
be found till I happened to take up a large bundle 
of long green moss, as it were carelessly thrown 
over the nest, in order to dodge the eye of any im- 
pertinent intruder. 
A still more remarkable mixture of sagacity and 
instinct occurred to me one day, as my people were 
pulling off the lining of a hotbed in order to add 
some fresh dung. From out of the side of this bed 
leaped an animal with great agility, that made a 
most grotesque figure; nor was it without great 
difficulty that it could be taken, when it proved to 
be a large white-bellied field-mouse, with three or 
four young clinging to her by their mouths and feet. 
It was amazing that the desultory and rapid motions 
of this dam should not oblige her litter to quit their 
hold, especially when it appeared that they were so 
young as to be both naked and blind! 
LETTER XV. 
Selborne, July 8, 1773. 
Dear Sir,—Some young men went down lately 
to a pond on the verge of Wolmer Forest to hunt 
flappers, or young wild ducks, many of which they 
caught, and, among the rest, some very minute yet 
