NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 3/ 



must have suffered prodigiously. There is reason to believe 

 that some days were more severe than any since the year 

 1739-40. I am, etc., etc. 



NOTE 

 1 See Ray's "Travels," p. 466. G. W. 



LETTER XIV 



SELBORNE, March i2th, 1768. 



DEAR SIR, If some curious gentleman would procure the 

 head of a fallow-deer, and have it dissected, he would find it 

 furnished with two spiracula, or breathing places, besides the 

 nostrils ; probably analogous to the puncta lachrymalia in the 

 human head. When deer are thirsty they plunge their noses, 

 like some horses, very deep under water, while in the act of 

 drinking, and continue them in that situation for a consider- 

 able time : but, to obviate any inconveniency, they can open 

 two vents, one at the inner corner of each eye, having a com- 

 munication with the nose. Here seems to be an extraordinary 

 provision of nature worthy our attention ; and which has not, 

 that I know of, been noticed by any naturalist. For it looks as 

 if these creatures would not be suffocated, though both their 

 mouths and nostrils were stopped. This curious formation of 

 the head may be of singular service to beasts of chase, by 

 affording them free respiration : and no doubt these additional 

 nostrils are thrown open when they are hard run. Mr. Ray 

 observed that at Malta, the owners slit up the nostrils of such 

 asses as were hard worked : for they, being naturally straight 

 or small, did not admit air sufficient to serve them when they 

 travelled, or labored, in that hot climate. And we know that 

 grooms, and gentlemen of the turf, think large nostrils neces- 

 sary, and a perfection, in hunters and running horses. 



Oppian, the Greek poet, by the following line, seems to have 

 had some notion that stags have four spiracula : 



" TerpaSv/xoi pu/es, irtovpes toi/oiiy ot StavAoi." 

 " Quadrifidae nares, quadruplices ad respirationem canales." 



OPP. CYN. Lib. ii. 1. 181. 



