NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 103 



LETTER XLII. 



Selborne, March 9th, 1775. 



Some future faunist, a man of fortune, will, I hope, extend 

 his visits to the kingdom of Ireland ; a new field and a 

 country little known to the naturalist. He will not, it is 

 to be wished, undertake that tour unaccompanied by a 

 botanist, because the mountains have scarcely been 

 sufficiently examined ; and the southerly counties of so 

 mild an island may possibly ajfford some plants little to be 

 expected within the British dominions. A person of a 

 thinking turn of mind will draw many just remarks from 

 the modern improvements of that country, both in arts and 

 in agriculture, where premiums obtained long before they 

 were heard of with us. The manners of the wild natives, 

 their superstitions, their prejudices, their sordid way of life, 

 will extort from him many useful reflections. He should 

 also take with him an able draughtsman ; for he must by 

 no means pass over the noble castles and seats, the 

 extensive and picturesque lakes and waterfalls, and the 

 lofty, stupendous mountains, so little known, and so 

 engaging to the imagination when described and exhibited 

 in a lively manner : such a work will be well received. 



As I have seen no modern map of Scotland, I cannot 

 pretend to say how accurate or particular any such may be ; 

 but this I know, that the best old maps of that kingdom 

 are very defective. 



The great obvious defect that I have remarked in all 

 maps of Scotland that have fallen in my way is a want of 

 a coloured line, or stroke, that shall exactly define the just 

 limits of that district called the Highlands. Moreover, all 

 the great avenues to that mountainous and romantic 



