NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 219 



LETTER XXXIX. 



Selborne, May \Zth, 1778. 



Among the many singularities attending those amusing 

 birds, the swifts, I am now confirmed in the opinion that 

 we have every year the same number of pairs invariably ; 

 at least the result of my inquiry has been exactly the same 

 for a long time past. The swallows and martins are so 

 numerous, and so widely distributed over the village, that it 

 is hardy possible to recount them ; while the swifts, though 

 they do not build in the church, yet so frequently haunt it, 

 and play and rendezvous round it, that they are easily 

 enumerated. The number that I constantly find are eight 

 pairs; about half of which reside in the church, and the 

 rest build in some of the lowest and meanest thatched 

 cottages. Now as these eight pairs, allowance being made 

 for accidents, breed yearly eight pairs more, what becomes 

 annually of this increase ; and what determines every 



And, with loud voice, some lost companion call. 

 And oft re-echoes echo till the peal 

 Rings seven times round ; so rock to rock repels 

 The mimic shout, reiterated close. 



Here haunt the goat-foot satyrs, and the nymphs, 

 As rustics tell, and fauns whose frolic dance, 

 And midnight revels oft, they say, are heard 

 Breaking the noiseless silence ; while soft strains 

 Melodious issue, and the vocal band 

 Strike to their madrigals the plaintive lyre, 

 Such, feign they, sees the shepherd obvious oft, 

 Led on by Pan, with pine-leaved garland crown'd 

 And seven-mouth'd reed his labouring lip beneath, 

 Waking the woodland muse with ceaseless song." 



— J. Mason Good. 



