1 82 The Natural History of Selborne 



with Scopoli's new publication ;* there is room to expect great 

 things from the hands of that man, who is a good naturalist : and 

 one would think that an history of the birds of so distant and 

 southern a region as Carniola would be new and interesting. I 

 could wish to see that work, and hope to get it sent down. Dr. 

 Scopoli is physician to the wretches that work in the quicksilver 

 mines of that district. 



When you talked of keeping a reed-sparrow, and giving it seeds, 

 I could not help wondering ; because the reed-sparrow which I men- 

 tioned to you (^Passer arundinaceus minor Rail] is a soft-billed bird ; 

 and most probably migrates hence before winter ; whereas the bird 

 you kept {Passer torquatus Rail) abides all the year, and is a thick- 

 billed bird. 1 I question whether the latter be much of a songster ; 

 but in this matter I want to be better informed. The former has a 

 variety of hurrying notes, and sings all night. Some part of the 

 song of the former, I suspect, is attributed to the latter. We have 

 plenty of the soft-billed sort ; which Mr. Pennant had entirely left 

 out of his " British Zoology," till I reminded him of his omission. 

 See " British Zoology " last published, p. i6.f 



I have somewhat to advance on the different manners in which 

 different birds fly and walk ; but as this is a subject that I have not 

 enough considered, and is of such a nature as not to be contained in 

 a small space, I shall say nothing further about it at present.J 



No doubt the reason why the sex of birds in their first plumage 

 is so difficult to be distinguished is, as you say, " because they are 

 not to pair and discharge their parental functions till the ensuing 

 spring." As colours seem to be the chief external sexual distinction 

 in many birds, these colours do not take place till sexual attachments 

 begin to obtain. And the case is the same in quadrupeds ; among 

 whom, in their younger days, the sexes differ but little ; but, as they 

 advance to maturity, horns and shaggy manes, beards and brawny 

 necks, &c. &c., strongly discriminate the male from the female. 

 We may instance still farther in our own species, where a beard and 



* This work he calls his "Annus Primus Historico-Naturalis." t See 

 Letter XXV. to Mr. Pennant. J See Letter XLII. to Mr. Harrington. 

 1 The bird here alluded to is the reed-bunting. ED. 



