OF SELBORNE. 119 



Oxford than elsewhere : is it owing to the vast massy 

 buildings of that place, to the many waters round it, or 

 to what else ? 



When I used to rise in a morning last autumn, and 

 see the swallows and martins clustering on the chim- 

 neys and thatch of the neighbouring cottages, I could 

 not help being touched with a secret delight, mixed 

 with some degree of mortification: with delight to 

 observe with how much ardour and punctuality those 

 poor little birds obeyed the strong impulse towards 

 migration, or hiding, imprinted on their minds by their 

 great Creator ; and with some degree of mortification, 

 when I reflected that, after all our pains and inquiries, 

 we are yet not quite certain to what regions they do 

 migrate ; and are still farther embarrassed to find that 

 some do not actually migrate at all. 



These reflections made so strong an impression on 

 my imagination, that they became productive of a com- 

 position that may perhaps amuse you for a quarter of 

 an hour when next T have the honour of writing to 

 you. 



LETTER XXIV. 



TO THE SAME. 

 WEAR SIR, SELBORNE, May 29, 1769. 



THE Scarabceus Fullo 1 1 know very well, having seen it 

 in collections ; but have never been able to discover 



MELOLONTHA MJLLO. 



[MelolontJia Fullo, FABR.] 



