58 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 178O 



a hundred miles, killed one woodcock] which ill-fated bird 

 took the pains to migrate from Scandinavia to be slain 

 by a cockney, who never shot a bird before ! ! ! Pleasure 

 is a most arbitrary matter ! The pains my nephew took 

 in his new pursuit would have been a great misery to 



many- I conclude 



Y*" affectionate friend, 



Gil. White. 



I frequently see that new vegetable that we talked of 

 called a Quid^ lying in a path : hahitat intra lahra immundi 

 hominis. I made some remarks of moment on the house- 

 martins just before they withdrew. They do not amount 

 to proof; but the presumptions are very strong indeed. 



Now the leaf is down the Bostal discovers itself in a 

 faint, delicate line running up the hanger, such as would 

 require the hand of a Grimm to express it. 



The Naturalist's Journal records the remarks on 

 the house- martins above referred to — 



"1780, Oct. 13, 14. On these two days many house- 

 martins were feeding and flying along the hanger as usual, 

 'til a quarter past five in the afternoon, when they all 

 scudded away in great haste to the S.E. and darted down 

 among the low beechen leafy shrubs above the cottages at 

 the end of the hill. After making this observation I waited 

 'til it was quite dusk, but saw them no more ; and returned 

 home well pleased with the incident, hoping that at this late 

 season it might lead to some useful discovery, and point out 

 their winter retreat. Since that, I have only seen two on 

 Oct. 22 in the morning. These circumstances put together 

 make it look very suspicious that this late flock at least 

 will not withdraw into warmer climes, but that they will 

 lie dormant within 300 yards of this village." 



The incident was not forgotten, since he recorded: — 



