NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 253 



eight inches of legs, four pounds must have one hundred and 

 twenty inches and a fraction of legs ; viz., somewhat more than 

 ten feet ; such a monstrous proportion as the world never saw ! 

 If you should try the experiment in still larger birds the disparity 

 would still increase. It must be matter of great curiosity to see 

 the stilt plover move ; to observe how it can wield such a length 

 of lever with such feeble muscles as the thighs seem to be fur- 

 nished with. At best one should expect it to be but a bad 

 walker : but what adds to the wonder is, that it has no back toe. 

 Now without that steady prop to support its steps it must be liable, 

 in speculation, to perpetual vacillations, and seldom able to pre- 

 serve the true centre of gravity. 



The old name of himantopus is taken from Pliny ; and, by an 

 awkward metaphor, implies that the legs are as slender and pliant 

 as if cut out of a thong of leather. Neither Willughby nor Ray, 

 in all their curious researches, either at home or abroad, ever saw 

 this bird. Mr. Pennant never met with it in all Great Britain, 

 but observed it often in the cabinets of the curious at Paris. 

 Hasselquist says that it migrates to Egypt in the autumn : and a 

 most accurate observer of Nature has assured me that he has 

 found it on the banks of the streams in Andalusia. 



Our writers record it to have been found only twice in Great 

 Britain. From all these relations it plainly appears that these 

 long-legged plovers are birds of South Europe, and rarely visit our 

 island ; and when they do, are wanderers and stragglers, and 

 impelled to make so distant and northern an excursion from 

 motives or accidents for which we are riot able to account. One 

 thing may fairly be deduced, that these birds come over to us from 

 the continent, since nobody can suppose that a species not noticed 

 once in an age, and of such a remarkable make, can constantly 

 breed unobserved in this kingdom. 



NOTE TO LETTER XLIX. 



1 The bird referred to is the black-winged stilt, which is only am occasional 

 visitant to England. 



