LETTER XX 



TO THE SAME 



SELBORNE: Octob r 8, 1768. 



DEAR SIR, [Your letter of Septem r 6 th gave me a great 

 deal of entertainment & satisfaction: & the more satisfac- 

 tion because I really began to fear from y r long & unusual 

 silence that you might be prevented from writing by sick- 

 ness or some accident that might have befallen you in y r 

 Caernarvon tour. But as I much esteem y r friendly cor- 

 respondence already, I desire you will not make use of any 

 such methods of enhancing the value of it for the future. 



I receive y r kind invitation into Flintshire as a fresh 

 instance of y r friendly disposition towards me : but whether 

 my health, or the want of command of my time will ever 

 permit me to gratify myself with so pleasing a tour & visit, 

 I cannot pretend to say : however I depend much on having 

 it in my power to give you a meeting in town next spring : 

 & it would be matter of high entertainment & instruction 

 to me to be able to accompany you in y r pursuits after 

 natural knowledge. 



As I do not live nearer to any sand-banks than three 

 miles, I am not so conversant with y e sand-martins as 

 with their congeners. However I know in general that 

 they appear as soon as the swallows, and retire much 

 about the same time. As their stay is of such length, there 

 is little reason to doubt but that they breed twice like the 

 swallow, & house-martin : but this I do not advance as 



from my own knowledge. How strange is it that so feeble 



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