204 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



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 

 motives 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. 



Selborne, April 21, 1780. 

 DEAR SIR, 



THE old Sussex tortoise, 1 that I have mentioned to you so often, 

 is become my property. I dug it out of it's winter dormitory in 

 March last, when it was enough wakened to express it's resent- 

 ments by hissing ; and, packing it in a box with earth, carried it 

 eighty miles in post-chaises. The rattle and hurry of the journey 

 so perfectly roused it that, when I turned it out on a border, it 

 walked twice down to the bottom of my garden ; however, in 

 the evening, the weather being cold, it buried itself in the loose 

 mould, and continues still concealed. 



As it will be under my eye, I shall now have an opportunity 

 of enlarging my observations on it's mode of life, and propensi- 

 ties ; and perceive already that, towards the time of coming 

 forth, it opens a breathing place in the ground near it's head, 

 requiring, I conclude, a freer respiration, as it becomes more 

 alive. This creature not only goes under the earth from the 

 middle of November to the middle of April, but sleeps great part 

 of the summer ; for it goes to bed in the longest days at four in 

 the afternoon, and often does not stir in the morning till late. 

 Besides, it retires to rest for every shower ; and does not move 

 at all in wet days. 



1 [See Letters VII. and XIII. to Harrington.] 



