1758 LATE SWALLOWS 97 



of news seems to mean that we shall see you before you are 

 released from that confinement. . . . 



"I have been looking over that copy of verses which I 

 have in my possession under the title of the Invitation, in 

 order to insert the beautiful Lines which you have added in 

 honour of your Hermitage,* and to alter the two rhimes which 

 I thought abominable, but I can find no such lines as begin 

 with ' Oft on some evening/ etc., and I believe that you sent 

 some to Miss Mulso that are different from what I have by 

 me, which came out of the Fens of Cambridgeshire." 



The letter continues — 



" Our Swallows and Bank Martins have long been dashing 

 into the heights, as if they had called their convocation to 

 debate upon departing. You know you was struck with this 

 sight last year." 



Swallows and their doings always had a peculiar 

 interest for the Naturalist, who recorded a little 

 later, on November 2nd, 1758, in the Garden 

 Kalendar — 



" Saw a very unusual sight ; a large flock of House-Martens 

 playing about between our fields, and the Hanger. I never 

 saw any of the Swallow-kind later than the old 10 of 

 October. The Hanger being quite naked of leaves made 

 the sight the more extraordinary." 



* Evidently the lines — 



" Or where the Hermit hangs the straw-clad cell, 

 Emerging gently from the leafy dell," etc. 



Vide "The Invitation to Selborne." 



VOL. I. — H 



