1793 PEAISE OF HIS BOOK 267 



Do you know D** Percy, Bishop of Dromore ? Among 

 several entire strangers I have lately received a letter from 

 him expressing his approbation of my Natural History in 

 terms that I must not repeat. 



Give my respects to the Eector of Middleton,* and tell 

 him I hope he will come and see us not long hence. 



Dr. Loveday appended this note : — 



"N.B. — The truly ingenious and worthy writer died at 

 Selborne on June 26th, 1793, aged 73, Senior Fellow of 

 Oriel College." 



The Naturalist's Journal continues — 



"May 12-18. The fern owl, or churn owl returns, and 

 chatters in the Hanger. 



"Sowed in the three -light annual frame African and 

 French marrigolds, China asters, pendulous Amaranths, 

 Orange-gourds. 



" A man brought me a large trout weighing three pounds, 

 which he found in the waste current at the tail of Bins pond, 

 in water so shallow that it could not get back again to the 

 Selborne stream. 



" Took the blackbird's nest a second time ; it had squab 

 young. 



"Set the second Bantam hen over the saddle cupboard 

 in the stable with eleven dark eggs. 



" A solitary hen red-start in the garden. 



" Timothy travels about the garden. 



" Made rhubarb tarts, and a rhubarb pudding, which was 

 very good. 



" May 22. Nep. Ben. White, and wife came. 



"[May] 28. The season is so cold, that no species of 

 Hirundines make any advances towards building and breeding. 



* Mr. Churton. 



