OF SELBORNK. 117 



Your account of the Indian grass was entertaining. 

 I am no angler myself; but inquiring of those that are, 

 what they supposed that part of their tackle to be 

 made of? they replied, " Of the intestines of a silk- 

 worm/' 



Though I must not pretend to great skill in entomo- 

 logy, yet I cannot say that I am ignorant of that kind 

 of knowledge : I may now and then perhaps be able to 

 furnish you with a little information. 



The vast rains ceased with us much about the same 

 time as with you, and since we have had delicate wea- 

 ther. Mr. Barker, who has measured the rain for more 

 than thirty years, says, in a late letter, that more has 

 fallen this year than in any he ever attended to ; though, 

 from July, 1763, to January, 1764, more fell than in any 

 seven months of this year. 



LETTER XXIII. 



TO THE SAME. 

 DEAR SIR, SELBORNE, Feb. 28, 1769. 



IT is not improbable that the Guernsey lizard and our 

 green lizards may be specifically the same ; all that I 

 know is, that, when some years ago many Guernsey 

 lizards were turned loose in Pembroke College garden, 

 in the University of Oxford, they lived a great while, 

 and seemed to enjoy themselves very well, but never 

 bred. Whether this circumstance will prove any thing 

 either way I shall not pretend to say. 



I return you thanks for your account of Cressi Hall ; 

 but recollect, not without regret, that in June, 1746, 1 

 was visiting for a week together at Spalding, without 

 ever being told that such a curiosity was just at hand. 

 Pray send me word in your next what sort of tree it is 

 that contains such a quantity of herons' nests; and 



