NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 209 



than two-thirds of its existence in a joyless stupor, and be lost 

 to all sensation for months together in the profoundest of 

 slumbers. 



While I was writing this letter, a moist and warm afternoon, 

 with the thermometer at 50, brought forth troops of shell- 

 snails ; and, at the same juncture, the tortoise heaved up the 

 mould and put out its head ; and the next morning came forth, 

 as it were, raised from the dead ; and walked about till four in 

 the afternoon. This was a curious coincidence ! a very amusing 

 occurrence ! to see such a similarity of feelings between the 

 two fapeoi/coi ! for so the Greeks called both the shell-snail and 

 the tortoise. 



Summer birds are, this cold and backward spring, un- 

 usually late : I have seen but one swallow yet. This con- 

 formity with the weather convinces me more and more that 

 they sleep in the winter. 



LETTER LI 



SELBORNE, Sept. yd, 1781. 



I HAVE now read your miscellanies through with much care 

 and satisfaction ; and am to return you my best thanks for 

 the honorable 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 sup- 

 posing that the examination would be made to the best 

 advantage in the spring, and observing that no martins had 

 appeared by the nth 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 laborers 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, 

 15 



