much entertainment and information at the same 

 time, and would open a large and new field in 

 natural history. Worms work most in the spring ; 

 but by no means lie torpid in the dead months ; 

 they are out every mild night in the winter, as any 

 person may satisfy himself. They are hermaphro- 

 dites, and are, consequently, very prolific. 

 Selborne, May 20, 1777. 



LETTER LXXVIII. 

 To THE Honourable Daines Barrington. 



You cannot but remember that the 26th and 27th 

 of last March were very hot days ; so sultry that 

 everybody complained, and were restless under 

 those sensations to w^hich they had not been recon- 

 ciled by gradual approaches. 



This sudden summer-like heat was attended by 



many summer coincidences; for on those two days 



the thermometer rose to sixty-six in the shade ; 



many species of insects revived and came forth ; 



some bees swarmed in this neighbourhood ; the old 



tortoise, near Lewes in Sussex, awakened and came 



forth out of its dormitory ; and, what is most to 



my present purpose, many house-swallows appeared, 



and were very alert in many places, and particularly 



at Cobham, in Surrey. 



81 



