1769 NATUEALISTS AT SELBOENE 171 



thought of a periodical publication, that shall receive the 



; various pieces of natural history that otherwise might 



perish. Not being conversant in such undertakings, I am 



little of a judge whether such a pamphlet would be likely 



to take; and am fearful that the very occasion of your 



, magazine may be the cause of its not succeeding : for amidst 



the din and clamour of party Rage, the still small voice 



of Philosophy will, I fear, be little attended to. However, 



if you think such a publication expedient, you will no doubt 



I get considerable assistance from your friends ; and I shall be 



■i ready to advance my mite: but then I shall expect you 



to be very charitable in your allowance, and to grant that 



: my mite in one respect is equal to larger contributions, as 



it is all my stock of knowledge." 



The letter contained also the following passages : — 



" When an opportunity occurs I shall be glad to look into 

 your 'Indian Zoology.' Mr. Skinner of C.C.C. and Mr. 

 Sheffield of Worcester College have lately been with me 

 for a fortnight, and are the only Naturalists that I have 

 ever yet had the pleasure of seeing at my house. They are 

 both excellent botanists, and the latter makes a very rapid 

 progress in Entomology. There was great satisfaction in 

 walking out with these men : because no bird, plant, or insect 

 came before them unascertain'd. One day we shot a Tringa 

 ochrophios* which is a very rare bird in these parts. . . . 



"There appears a Comet nightly (having a tail about 

 six degrees in length) in the constellation of Aries, between 

 the 24 : 29 : and 51 stars of that constellation in the 

 English catalogue." 



On October 28th, 1769, the Naturalist's Journal 

 contains the entry, ''Mrs. J. W. sailed" on her return 



* The green sandpiper above mentioned. — A. N. 



