THE WEATHER. 245 



me that it was to be sent to his brother, a joiner at Farnham, 

 who was to make use of it in cabinet work, by inlaying it along 

 with whiter woods. 



Those that are much abroad on evenings after it is dark, in 

 spring and summer, frequently hear a nocturnal bird passing by 

 on the wing, and repeating often a short quick note. This bird 

 I have remarked myself, but never could make out till lately. 

 I am assured now that it is the stone-curlew, (charadrius cedic- 

 nemusj Some of theni pass over or near my house almost every 

 evening after it is dark, from the uplands of the hill and North 

 field, away down towards Dorton ; where, among the streams 

 and meadows, they find a greater plenty of food. Birds that 

 fly by night are obliged to be noisy ; their notes often repeated 

 become signals or watch-words to keep them together, that they 

 may not stray or lose each the other in the dark. 



The evening proceedings and manoeuvres of the rooks are 

 curious and amusing in the autumn. Just before dusk they 

 return in long strings from the foraging of the day, and rendez- 

 vous by thousands over Selborne-down, where they wheel round 

 in the air, and sport and dive in a playful manner, all the while 

 exerting their voices, and making a loud cawing, which, being 

 blended and softened by the distance that we at the village are 

 below them, becomes a confused noise or chiding ; or rather a 

 pleasing murmur, very engaging to the imagination, and not 

 unlike the cry of a pack of hounds in hollow, echoing woods, 

 or the rushing of the wind in tall trees, or the tumbling of the 

 tide upon a pebbly shore. When this ceremony is over, with 

 the last gleam of day, they retire for the night to the deep 

 beechen woods of Tisted and Ropley. We remember a little girl 

 who, as she was going to bed, used to remark on such an occur- 

 rence, in the true spirit of physico-theology, that the rooks were 

 saying their prayers ; and yet this child was much too young to 

 be aware that the scriptures have said of the Deity that " he 

 feedeth the ravens who call upon him." I am, &c. 



LETTER LX. To THE HON. DAINES BARRINGTON. 



IN reading Dr. Huxham's Observations de Aere, &c., written at 

 Plymouth, I find by those curious and accurate remarks, which 

 contain an account of the weather from the year 1727 to the 



