16 LETTERS TO HIS BROTHER 



while your house drys, would come and spend one more 

 winter with me. You might put in an elderly, grave person 

 for that period to make fires, and take care of your goods, 

 and defer the hiring of servants 'til spring. I will endeavour 

 to do everything to make the winter as easy to you as pos- 

 sible ; you shall have a bed put up in the drawing-room, and 

 a grate where you shall have a constant fire, by which you 

 may instruct your son, and fabricate your Fauna. As my 

 sister, I know by agreeable experience, is of an active dispo- 

 sition, she shall, if she please, manage my house, and see to 

 provisions ; and we shall, if it please God to bless us with 

 health, pass the dead season of the year in no uncomfortable 

 way; and at the season of spring I will let you depart in 

 peace, and will follow you in the summer into Lancashire. 

 All this proposal is the result of a sincere intention; and there- 

 fore I hope you will think of it in earnest, and not let the 

 consideration of a long coach journey (which is not so for- 

 midable to you as to some others) prevent the comfort and 

 satisfaction I propose from such an undertaking. When you 

 write again I hope to discover that you have considered this 

 matter, and will be so kind as to think of putting it into exe- 

 cution. 



Mr. Derham in his e Physico-theol.' incidentally mentions 

 Dr. Leigh's ' Natural History of Lancashire,' which perhaps 

 Mr. Lever has got, and you shall see. If I err about the 

 Mot. ficedula, I err in good company ; for your bird is indis- 

 putably the bird that Lin. means by Mot.f.\ and yet he all 

 the while acknowledges that it has " mandibula superior utrin- 

 que emarginata, et latere vibrissata," which are the charac- 

 teristics of a Muscicapa. In Edwards there are cuts of the 

 male and female. As to myself, I can't help thinking that 

 your bird is of a plumper and shorter habit than the cock 

 goldfinch with a white forehead ; besides you sent many like 

 the cocks that had no white in their foreheads. Mr. Shaw I 

 see is preferred. I am glad he continues to send you new 

 birds. The lark-like bird may probably be as you say. 



From August 9 to 14 inclusive was most wonderfully hot. 

 My thermometer on the 13th was up to 78^ : oh that day in 



