NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 81 



of sizes, and that the least has black legs, and the other two 

 flesh-coloured ones. The yellowest bird is considerably 

 the largest, and has its quill-feathers and secondary feathers 

 tipped with white, which the others have not. This last 

 haunts only the tops of trees in high beechen woods, and 

 makes a sibilous grasshopper-like noise, now and then, at 

 short intervals, shivering a little with its wings when it 

 sings ; and is, I make no doubt now, the regulus non cristatus 

 of Ray ; which he says, " cantat voce stridula locustce." Yet 

 this great ornithologist never suspected that there were 

 three species. 1 



[The behaviour of the antelope which you saw in town, 

 strongly corroborates my suspicions concerning the deer. 

 I desire you will not fail to procure a buck's head from 

 S r R : M : 2 & will have it dissected with care. I could 

 have procured one with ease myself 'til this year : but now 

 my neighbour S r Simeon Stuart has destroyed his stock, 

 & turned his park into sheep-walks. 



The first young swallows appeared on July 4 th & y e 

 first martins began to congregate on y e bush of the village 

 may-pole on July 23. 



To me it is very plain, that the first swallows & martins 

 that congregate, are the birds of the first brood, & that 

 thro' an inability of flying long at a time. For while these 

 first flyers are spending as much time on a may-pole, the 

 battlements of a tower, &c. : the old ones are busily 

 employed in rearing a second brood. 



The swifts have never been seen with us since Aug : 5 th 

 & I conclude will come no more this season. I am always 



1 In the original letter follows a repetition of the note on the Thick-knee 

 which occurred in Letter XVIII, and which I have there restored. The two 

 notes are identical, with the exception that the words "nay 100 in a flock" are 

 not repeated, as if the author fancied that his estimate might have been too large. 

 He then continues : " Understanding that a Quaker at Alton had got two of 

 their eggs which he took in a bean-field as they lay in a hollow place on the 

 naked ground, I went over to see them, and found them round and large, and of 

 a yellow-white blotched with red, and not unlike those of the Falco milvus. The 

 man was very civil, and says I may have them when I chuse to send : so I shall 

 preserve them for you." [R. B. S.] 



2 Sir Roger Mostyn. [R. B. S.] 



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