LETTER XXVIII 



TO THE SAME 



SELBORNE, March, 



DEAR SIR, [A journey of business, which detained me 

 longer from home than I expected, must be my excuse for 

 neglecting to answer your letter 'til this time. 



My thanks are due for your obliging present of your 

 last publication, which will conduce much to illustrate, 

 & improve the British zoology: the designs are just & 

 the attitudes easy & natural : & the plates so well en- 

 graved, that they will convey a much more adequate Idea 

 of an unknown animal to a young naturalist than words 

 possibly can. 



Tho' you are embarked in a more extensive plan of 

 natural history, yet I am glad to find that you do by no 

 means give up the Brit : zoology : that I think should be 

 your principal object : & I hope you will continue to 

 revise it at your leisure, & to re-touch it over 'til you have 

 render'd it as perfect as the nature of the work will admit 

 of. If people that live in the country would take a little 

 pains, daily observations might be made with respect to 

 animals, & particularly regarding their life & conversation, 

 their actions & ceconomy, which are the life & soul of 

 natural history. 



Every species of the swallow-kind take their drink by 

 sipping the water as they skim lightly over the surface of 



it 



flumina libant 



Summa leves 



VIRG. 



They never settle to drink like other birds. 



1 The original letter is dated May 12th, 1770. [R. B. S.] 

 119 



