ift. NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



the end of November : about twenty years ago they abounded in 

 the district of Selborne ; and strings of them were seen morning 

 and evening that reached a mile or more ; but since the beechen 

 woods have been greatly thinned they are much decreased in 

 number. The ring-dove, Palumbus Rail, stays with us the whole 

 year, and breeds several times through the summer. 



Before I received your letter of October last I had just remarked 

 in my journal that the trees were unusually green. This uncommon 

 verdure lasted on late into November ; and may be accounted 

 for from a late spring, a cool and moist summer ; but more par- 

 ticularly from vast armies of chafers, or tree-beetles, which, in 

 many places, reduced whole woods to a leafless naked state. 

 These trees shot again at Midsummer, and then retained their 

 foliage till very late in the year. 2 



My musical friend, at whose house I am now visiting, has tried 

 all the owls that are his near neighbours with a pitch-pipe set at 

 concert pitch, and finds they all hoot in B flat. He will examine 

 the nightingales next spring. 



I am, etc., etc. 



NOTES TO LETTER IX. 



1 I have observed woodcocks sluggish and owl-like in their movements 

 during a continuance of bright cool weather in the autumn, and have attributed 

 it to fatigue after a long flight. 



2 The leaves of a number of currant bushes in my garden were destroyed this 

 spring by a vast number of the caterpillars of the magpie moth, so that the trees 

 were black and apparently lifeless; yet after Midsummer, when the caterpillars 

 had turned into moths, the bushes budded again and were soon in full leaf, 

 but bore no fruit. 



LETTER X. 



SELBORNE, Aug. is/, 1771. 



DEAR SIR, From what follows, it will appear that neither owls 

 nor cuckoos, keep to one note. A friend remarks that many (most) 



