OF SELBORNE 93 



The blue, marsh, and great titmice will, in very severe 

 weather, carry away barley and oat straws from the sides 

 of ricks. 



How the wheat-ear and whin-chat support themselves in 

 winter cannot be so easily ascertained, since they spend 

 their time on wild heaths and warrens ; the former 

 especially, where there are stone quarries : most probably 

 it is that their maintenance arises from the aureliae of the 

 lepidoptera ordo, which furnish them with a plentiful table 

 in the wilderness. 



I am, etc. 



LETTER XLII 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE 



Sel borne, March 9, 1775. 



DEAR SIR, 



SOME future faunist, a man of fortune, will, I hope, extend 

 his visits to the kingdom of Ireland ; a new field, and a 

 country little known to the naturalist. He will not, it is 

 to be wished, undertake that tour unaccompanied by a 

 botanist, because the mountains have scarcely been 

 sufficiently examined ; and the southerly counties of so 

 mild an island may possibly afford some plants little to be 

 expected within the British dominions. A person of a 

 thinking turn of mind will draw many just remarks from 

 the modern improvements of that country, both in arts 

 and agriculture, where premiums obtained long before 

 they were heard of with us. The manners of the wild 

 natives, their superstitions, their prejudices, their sordid 

 way of life, will extort from him many useful reflections. 

 He should also take with him an able draughtsman ; 

 for he must by no means pass over the noble castles and 

 seats, the extensive and picturesque lakes and water-falls, 

 and the lofty stupendous mountains, so little known, and 



