1773 THE SHIVEKING WEEN 217 



species ; and that you have heard the sedge-bird ; which for 

 variety of notes, and swift transitions from the song of one 

 bird to that of an other is, I think, a wonderful fellow, and 

 was it not for the hurrying manner, would be an elegant 

 warbler. It is plain Mr. Lever knows nothing of the grass- 

 hopper-lark ; if he did, he could not confound it with the 

 sedge-bird, to which it bears not the least resemblance 

 either in person, song, or manner of life. Did the shivering 

 wren make its noise in the tops of tall trees? Mr. Lever 

 is, I perceive, a very adroit natural Naturalist ; it is there- 

 fore pity he does not allow himself the advantage of books, 

 and call in the assistance of system. 



The sedge-bird sings all night when it is awake, therefore 

 when you throw stones or dirt into the bushes, you rouse 

 it from its slumbers, and set it to work again. 



You will be very busy, no doubt, in your repairs, and 

 will meet, I hope, with no disappointments. I thought a 

 fortnight ago that I was going to build a chamber full speed. 

 I had bespoke a mason in the room of Long, who was pre- 

 engaged ; and Jack was to have been the Comptroller 

 general of my Majesty's works; but just as I was going 

 to lay in all materials my Mason sent me word he had 

 got an other job, and could not do mine 'til after harvest. 



For these three days past we have had the king at 

 Portsmouth ; and have heard continual firings, which shook 

 my house. My s*foin is down ; but the weather is unsettled. 

 Mr. Lever has procured the canne petiere* in Lancashire; 

 Mr. Pennant mentions one shot in Cornwall. Some boys 

 killed lately at Oakhanger-ponds some flappers or young 

 wild-ducks ; among the rest they took some young teals 

 alive; one I saw, and turned into James Knight's ponds. 

 'Til now I never knew that teals bred in England. So you 

 see new information crowds in every day. Was not the 

 sibilous bird that you heard the real grasshopper-lark; 

 * The little bustard {Otis tetrax).—K. N. 



