NATUBAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 209 



south-west, and the thermometer at 58 J° — a pitch not 

 common at that season of the year. Moreover, it may not 

 be amiss to add in this place, that whenever the ther- 

 mometer is above 50°, the bat comes flitting out in every 

 autumnal and winter-month. 



From all these circumstances laid together, it is obvious 

 that torpid insects, reptiles, and quadrupeds are awakened 

 from their profounclest slumbers by ,a little untimely 

 warmth ; and therefore that nothing so much promotes its 

 death-like stupor as a defect of heat. And farther, it is 

 reasonable to suppose that two whole species, or at least 

 many individuals of those two species of British hirundi7ie8f 

 do never leave this island at all, but partake of the same 

 benumbed state ; for we cannot suppose that, after a 

 month's absence, house-martins can return from southern 

 regions to appear for one morning in November, or that 

 house-swallows should leave the districts of Asia to enjoy in 

 March the transient summer of a couple of days. 



LETTER XXXVII. 



Selborne, Jan. 8th, 1778, 



IiiERE was in this village several years ago a miserable 

 pauper, who from his birth was afflicted with a leprosy, 

 as far as we are aware of a singular kind, since it affected 

 only the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet. This 

 scaly eruption usually broke out twice in the year, at the 

 spring and fall ; and, by peeling away, left the skin so thin 

 and tender that neither his hands nor feet were able to 



305 



