cv.] 



OF SELBORNE. 



257 



LETTER XCV. 

 TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 



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 the uncomfortable months of winter. But supposing that 

 the examination would be made to the best advantage in the 

 spring, and observing that no martins had appeared by the llth 

 of April last, on that day I employed some men to explore the 

 shrubs and cavities of the suspected spot. The persons took 

 pains, but without any success ; however, a remarkable incident 

 occurred in the midst of our pursuit while the labourers were 

 at work a house-martin, the first that had been seen this year, 

 came down the village in the sight of several people, and went 

 at once into a nest, where it stayed a short time, and then flew 

 over the houses ; for some days after no martins were observed, 

 not till the 16th of April, and then only a pair. Martins in 

 general were remarkably late this year. 



" - daffodils 



That come before the swallow dares, and take 

 The wiiids of March with beauty." 



SELBORNE, Sept. 3, 1781. 



VOL. I. 



L L 



