25fi THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT. 



own pigeou-house ; hoping thereby, if he could bring about a 

 coalition, to enlarge his breed, and teach his own doves to beat 

 out into the woods and to support themselves by mast ; the plan 

 was plausible, but something always interrupted the success ; 

 for though the birds were usually hatched, and sometimes grew 

 to half their size, yet none ever arrived at maturity. I myself 

 have seen these foundlings in their nest displaying a strange 

 ferocity of nature, so as scarcely to bear to be looked at, and 

 snapping with their bills by way of menace. In short, they 

 always died, perhaps from 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 : 



" Qualis spelunca subito commota Columba, 

 Cui doinus, et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 

 Fertnr in arva volans, plaustunqne exterrita pennis 

 Dat tecto ingentem mox acre lapsa quieto, 

 Radit iter liijuidum, celeres necjue. conunovet alas." 



(ViRG. JEn. v. 213- -2i 7.) 



" As when a 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." 



(URYDEX'S Translation.) 



SELBORXE, Xoi: 30, 1780. 



