TOETOISE. 261 



furnished 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 vacil- 

 lations, and seldom able to preserve the true centre of gravity. 



The old name of Jiimantopus 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 Eay, 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 

 not 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. 



LETTEE XCIL 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBORNE, April 21, 1780. 



DEAE SIR, The old Sussex tortoise, that I have mentioned to 

 you so often, is become my property. I dug it out of its winter 

 dormitory in March last, when it was enough awakened to 

 express its resentments by hissing ; and, packing it in a box 

 with earth, carried it eighty miles in post-chaises. The rattle 

 and hurry of the journey so perfectly roused it, that when I 



