52 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



tioned is certainly a noii-descript : I saw but one this summer, 

 and that I had no opportunity of taking. 1 



Your account of the Indian-grass was entertaining. I am 110 

 angler myself; but inquiring of those that are, what they sup- 

 posed that part of their tackle to be made of? they replied "of 

 the intestines of a silkworm ". 



Though I must not pretend to great skill in entomology, 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 weather. 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. 



Selborne, February 28, 1769. 



DEAR SIR, 



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 re- 

 collect, not without regret, that in June 1746 I 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 whether the heronry consists of a whole grove or 

 wood, or only of a few trees. 



It gave me satisfaction to find that we accorded so well about 

 the caprimulgus : all I contended for was to prove that it often 



1 [Fifteen species of bat are now recorded from the British Islands. For the 

 noctule, here called " the great sort," see note to Letter XXXVI. to Pennant.] 



