OF SELBORNE 59 



LETTER XXIV 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE 



Selborne, May 29, 1769. 



DEAR SIR, 



THE scar abacus fullo I know very well, having seen it in 

 collections; but have never been able to discover one wild 

 in its natural state. Mr. Banks told me he thought it 

 might be found on the sea-coast. 



On the thirteenth of April I went to the sheep-down, 

 where the ring-ousels have been observed to make their 

 appearance at spring and fall, in their way perhaps to the 

 north or south ; and was much pleased to see three birds 

 about the usual spot. We shot a cock and a hen ; they 

 were plump and in high condition. The hen had but very 

 small rudiments of eggs within her, which proves they are 

 late breeders ; whereas those species of the thrush kind that 

 remain with us the whole year have fledged young before 

 that time. In their crops was nothing very distinguishable, 

 but somewhat that seemed like blades of vegetables nearly 

 digested. In autumn they feed on haws and yew-berries, 

 and in the spring on ivy-berries. I dressed one of these 

 birds, and found it juicy and well-flavoured. It is re- 

 markable that they make but a few days' stay in their 

 spring visit, but rest near a fortnight at Michaelmas. 

 These birds, from the observations of three springs and two 

 autumns, are most punctual in their return ; and exhibit 

 a new migration unnoticed by the writers, who supposed 

 they never were to be seen in any of the southern counties. 



One of my neighbours lately brought me a new salicaria, 

 which at first I suspected might have proved your willow- 

 lark, 1 but, on a nicer examination, it answered much better 

 to the description of that species which you shot at Revesby, 

 in Lincolnshire. My bird I describe thus : " It is a size 

 less than the grasshopper-lark; the head, back, and coverts 

 1 For this lalicaria see letter August 30, 1769. 



