against the wall of a house, or in the hole of a wall, 

 or on the end of a beam or plate, and often close to 

 the post of a door where people are going in and out 

 all day long. This bird does not make the least 

 pretension to song, but uses a little inward wailing 

 note when it thinks its young in danger from cats 

 or other annoyances : it breeds but once, and retires 

 early. 



Selborne parish alone can and has exhibited at 

 times more than half the birds that are ever seen 

 in all Sweden ; the former has produced more than 

 one hundred and twenty species, the latter only two 

 hundred and twenty-one. Let me add also, that it 

 has shown near half the species that were ever known 

 in Great Britain ; Sweden having two hundred and 

 twenty-one, Great Britain two hundred and fifty-two 

 species. 



On a retrospect, I observe that my long letter 

 carries with it a quaint and magisterial air, and is 

 very sententious ; but when I recollect that you re- 

 quested stricture and anecdote, I hope you will par- 

 don the didactic manner for the sake of the informa- 

 tion it may happen to contain. 

 Selborne, Sept. 2, 1774. 



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