The Natural History of Selborne 187 



satisfied with Scopoli's new publication ; * there is room to 

 expect great things from the hands of that man, who is a 

 good naturalist : and one would think that an history of the 

 birds of so distant and southern a region as Carniola would 

 be new and interesting. I could wish to see that work, and 

 hope to get it sent down. Dr. Scopoli is physician to the 

 wretches that work in the quicksilver mines of that district. 



When you talked of keeping a reed-sparrow, and giving it 

 seeds, I could not help wondering ; because the reed-sparrow 

 which I mentioned to you (Passer arundinaceus minor Raii) 

 is a soft-billed bird ; and most probably migrates hence before 

 winter ; whereas the bird you kept (Passer torquatits Rail) 

 abides all the year, and is a thick-billed bird. 1 I question 

 whether the latter be much of a songster ; but in this matter 

 I want to be better informed. The former has a variety of 

 hurrying notes, and sings all night. Some part of the song 

 of the former, I suspect, is attributed to the latter. We have 

 plenty of the soft-billed sort ; which Mr. Pennant had entirely 

 left out of his " British Zoology," till I reminded him of his 

 omission. See "British Zoology" last published, p. i6.t 



I have somewhat to advance on the different manners in 

 which different birds fly and walk; but as this is a subject 

 that I have not enough considered, and is of such a nature as 

 not to be contained in a small space, I shall say nothing 

 further about it at present/}; 



No doubt the reason why the sex of birds in their first 

 plumage is so difficult to be distinguished is, as you say, 

 " because they are not to pair and discharge their parental 

 functions till the ensuing spring." As colours seem to be the 

 chief external sexual distinction in many birds, these colours 

 do not take place till sexual attachments begin to obtain. 

 And the case is the same in quadrupeds; among whom, in 

 their younger days, the sexes differ but little; but, as they 

 advance to maturity, horns and shaggy manes, beards and 



* This work he calls his "Annus Primus Historico-Naturalis." f See 

 Letter XXV. to Mr. Pennant. J See Letter XLII. to Mr. Harrington, 

 i The bird here alluded to is the reed-bunting. ED. 



