150 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



will be able to produce somewhat worthy the attention 

 of men who love these studies. As to any publication 

 in this way of my own, I look upon it with great diffidence, 

 finding that I ought to have begun it twenty years ago. 

 But if I was to attempt anything, it should be somewhat 

 of a Nat : history of my native parish ; an annus-historico- 

 naturalis, comprizing a journal for one whole year, & 

 illustrated with large notes, & observations. Such a 

 beginning might induce more able naturalists to write 

 the history of various districts ; & might in time occasion 

 the production of a work so much to be wished for, a 

 full & compleat nat : history of these kingdoms. 



Your engraver at Chester acquits himself like an able 

 artist : & I should be glad to know what his price is for 

 a plate containing two or three animals. You have, I 

 see, furnished the Gent : Mag : for last month with a 

 plate & some descriptions. The conduct 1 " of that publica- 

 tion will no doubt rejoice in such a correspondent.] 



Happening to make a visit to my neighbour's peacocks, 

 I could not help observing that the trains of those mag- 

 nificent birds appear by no means to be their tails ; those 

 long feathers growing not from their uropygium, but all up 

 their backs. A range of short brown stiff feathers, about 

 six inches long, fixed in the uropygium, is the real tail, and 

 serves as the fulcrum to prop the train, which is long and 

 top-heavy, when set an end. When the train is up, nothing 

 appears of the bird before but it's head and neck ; but this 

 would not be the case were those long feathers fixed only 

 in the rump, as may be seen by the turkey-cock when in a 

 strutting attitude. By a strong muscular vibration these 

 birds can make the shafts of their long feathers clatter like 

 the swords of a sword-dancer ; they then trample very 

 quick with their feet, and run backwards towards the 

 females. 



I should tell you that I have got an uncommon calculus 

 cegogropila, taken out of the stomach of a fat ox ; it is 

 perfectly round, and about the size of a large Seville 

 orange ; such are, I think, usually flat. 



