238 The Natural History 



becomes a confused noise or chiding ; or rather a pleasing 

 murmur, very engaging to the imagination, and not unhke 

 the cry of a pack of hounds in hollow, echoing woods, or 

 the rushing of the wind in tall trees, or the tumbling of 

 the tide upon a pebbly shore. When this ceremony is 

 over, with the last gleam of day, they retire for the night 

 to the deep beechen woods of Tisted and Ropley. We 

 remember a little girl who, as she was going to bed, used 

 to remark on such an occurrence, in the true spirit of 

 physico-theology, that the rooks were saying their prayers ; 

 and yet this child was much too young to be aware that 

 the scriptures have said of the Deity — that "he feedeth 

 the ravens who call upon him." 



I am, etc. 



LETTER LX 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES HARRINGTON 



In reading Dr. Huxham's Observatio7ies dc Aere^ etc., 

 written at Plymouth, I find by those curious and accurate 

 remarks, which contain an account of the weather from 

 the year 1727 to the year 1748, inclusive, that though 

 there is frequent rain in that district of Devonshire, 

 yet the quantity falling is not great ; and that some years 

 it has been very small : for in 1731 the rain measured 

 only I7'"'^ — 266'''°". and in 1741, 20 — 354; and again 

 in 1743 only 20 — 908. Places near the sea have frequent 

 scuds, that keep the atmosphere moist, yet do not reach 

 far up into the country ; making thus the maritime situa- 

 tions appear wet, when the rain is not considerable. In 

 the wettest years at Plymouth the Doctor measured only 

 once 36; and again once, viz., 1734, 37 — 114: a quantity 

 of rain that has twice been exceeded at Selborne in the 

 short period of my observations. Dr. Huxham remarks, 

 that frequent small rains keep the air moist ; while heavy 

 ones render it more dry, by beating down the vapours. 

 He is also of opinion that the dingy, smoky appearance of 

 the sky, in very dry seasons, arises from the want of 



