OF SELJBORNE. 357 



walker : but what adds to the w r onder is, that it has no 

 back toe. Now without that steady prop to support 

 its steps it must be liable, in speculation, to perpetual 

 vacillations, and seldom able to preserve the true centre 

 of gravity. 



The old name of Himantopus is taken from Pliny ; 

 and, by an awkward metaphor, implies that the legs 

 are as slender and pliant as if cut out of. a thong of 

 leather. Neither Willughby nor Ray, in all their curi- 

 ous researches, either at home or abroad, ever saw this 

 bird. Mr. Pennant never met with it in all Great Bri- 

 tain, but observed it often in the cabinets of the curious 

 at Paris. Hasselquist says that it migrates to Egypt 

 in the autumn: and a most accurate observer of nature 

 has assured me that he has found it on the banks of the 

 streams in Andalusia. 



Our writers record it to have been found only twice 

 in Great Britain. From all these relations it plainly 

 appears that these long-legged plovers are birds of 

 South Europe, and rarely visit our island ; and when 

 they do, are wanderers and stragglers, and impelled to 

 make so distant and northern an excursion from mo- 

 tives or accidents for which we are not able to account. 

 One thing may fairly be deduced, that these birds come 

 over to us from the continent, since nobody can suppose 

 that a species not noticed once in an age, and of such 

 a remarkable make, can constantly breed unobserved 

 in this kingdom. 



LETTER L. 



TO THE SAME. 

 DEAR SIR, SELBORNE, April 21, 1780. 



THE old Sussex tortoise, that I have mentioned to you 

 so often, is become my property. I dug it out of its 

 winter dormitory in March last, when it was enough 



