NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



LETTER XXVI. 



SELBORNE, December %th, 1769. 



DEAR SIR, I was much gratified by your communicative letter 

 on your return from Scotland, where you spent some considerable 

 time, and gave yourself good room to examine the natural curio- 

 sities of that extensive kingdom, both those of the islands, as well 



THE FIELDFARE. 



as those of the highlands. The usual bane of such expeditions is 

 hurry, because men seldom allot themselves half the time they 

 should do ; but, fixing on a day for their return, post from place 

 to place, rather as if they were on a journey that required dispatch, 

 than as philosophers investigating the works of nature. You must 

 have made, no doubt, many discoveries, and laid up a good fund 

 of materials fora future edition of the " British Zoology;" and 



