LVI1I.] 



OF SELBORNE. 



161 



Thus is instinct in animals, taken the least out of its way, 

 an undistinguishing, limited faculty ; and blind to every circum- 

 stance that does not immediately respect self-preservation, or 

 lead at once to the propagation or support of their species. 



SELBORNE, Sept. 9, 1767. 



LETTER LVIII. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES HARRINGTON. 



I RECEIVED your favour of the 8th, and am pleased to find 

 that you read my little history of the swallow with your usual 

 candour: nor was I the less pleased to find that you made 

 objections where you saw reason. 



As to the quotations, it is difficult to say precisely which 

 species of kirundo Virgil might intend in the lines in question, 

 since the ancients did not attend to specific differences like 

 modern naturalists ; yet somewhat may be gathered, enough to 

 incline me to suppose that in the two passages quoted the poet 

 had his eye on the swallow. 



In the first place the epithet garrula suits the swallow well, 

 which is a great songster ; and not the martin, which is rather 

 a mute bird ; and when it sings is so inward as scarce to be 

 heard. Besides, if tignvm in that place signifies a rafter rather 

 than a beam, as it seems to me to do, then it must be the swallow 

 that is alluded to, and not the martin ; since the former does 

 frequently build within the roof against the rafters : while the 

 latter always, as far as I have been able to observe, builds 

 without the roof against eaves and cornices. 



As to the simile, too much stress must not be laid on it : yet 

 the epithet nigra speaks plainly in favour of the swallow, whose 

 back and wings are very black ; while the rump of the martin 

 is milk-white, its back and wings blue, and all its under part 

 white as snow. Nor can the clumsy motions (comparatively 



VOL. I. Y 



