DOVES. 293 



for want of proper sustenance ; but the owner thought 

 that by their fierce and wild demeanour they frighted 

 their foster-mothers, and so were starved. 



Virgil, as a familiar occurrence, by way of simile, 

 describes a dove haunting the cavern of a rock, in 

 such engaging numbers, that I cannot refrain from 

 quoting the passage ; and John Dry den has rendered 

 it so happily in our language, that without farther ex- 

 cuse, I shall add his translation also. 



" Qualis spelunca subito commota columba, 

 Cui domus, et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 

 Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 

 Dat tecto ingentem : mox aere lapsa quieto 

 Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas." 



" As when the dove her rocky hold forsakes, 



Roused in a fright, her sounding wings she shakes ; 

 The cavern rings with clattering ; out she flies, 

 And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies : 

 At first she flutters ; but at length she springs 

 To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings." 



LETTER XCV. 



TO THE HON. DAINES BARRINGTON. 



SELBORNE, Sept. 3, 1781. 



I HAVE now read your Miscellanies through with 

 much care and satisfaction; and am to return you my 

 best thanks for the honourable mention made in them 

 of me as a naturalist, which I wish I may deserve. 



In some former letters, I expressed my suspicions 

 that many of the house -martins do not depart in the 

 winter far from this village. I therefore determined 

 to make some search about the south-east end of 

 the hill, where I imagined they might slumber out 



