THE REV. JOHN WHITE. 43 



of Muscat came forth. Chrysomela Gott'mgensis begins to come 

 forth. 



Bro. Tho., Molly White, and myself came down to this place 

 on Tuesday last; on Wednesday next Harry's boy is to be 

 bapt. ; and on Friday we are to return to Selborne. 



I have just dug away 40 loads of earth from the end of my 

 kitchen, and have now set my house above ground in all parts. 



Mr. Halliday behaves very well, and improves so much, 

 that his friends are well pleased with the pains that have been 

 taken with him. His parts, tho' somewhat backward, and 

 slow, promise to be solid. 



Building is very infectious and catching : I am so pleased 

 with H.'s new parlour, that I want to go home and build one. 



A certain plea of license against the incumbent's taking all 

 the duty in person can avail him nothing. Every man may, 

 if he chooses, do his own business himself, certainly. 



A flock of Spoon-bills was seen last winter near Yarmouth 

 in Norfolk : one was shot and sent to Curtis, who showed it 

 to Bro. Tho. This is a rare bird indeed in England, tho' com- 

 mon in Holland, and must have migrated across the German 

 Ocean, no narrow frith, in spite of all that Mr. Barrington can 

 say to the contrary*. That gent, is got into some fracas with 

 the R. S. ; so that, I suspect, no more of my Hirundines will 

 be redde. 



I will send you in my next what Chaucer says about gossa- 

 mer : it is wonderful that so remarkable and prognostic a phe- 

 nomenon should escape Thomson, the naturalist poet. 



As America is at present the subject of conversation, it may 

 be matter of some amusement to you to send you a quotation 

 from the Medea of Seneca, prophetic of the discovery of that 



vast continent. 



veneant annis 

 Secula seris, quibus oceanus 

 Pateat, tellus, Tiphysque novos 

 Detegat orbes; nee sit terra ultima Tbule. 



* [It is now well known tbat the Spoonbill used to breed in Norfolk. 

 See Stevenson's 'Birds of Norfolk,' ii. p. 52G. Sir Thomas Brown also 

 says that they used to build in the Heronry at Claxton and Rudham, in 

 in that county.— T. B.] 



