once, into these parts, but are never seen in the win- 

 ter. They are delicate songsters. 



Numbers of snipes breed every summer in some 

 moory ground 

 on the verge of 

 this parish. It 

 is very amusing 

 to see the cock 

 bird on wing at 

 that time, and 

 to hear his pip- 

 ing and hum- 

 ming notes. 



I have had 



A snipe. 



no opportunity yet of procuring any of those mice 

 which I mentioned to you in town. The person 

 that brought me the last says they are plentiful in 

 harvest, at which time I will take care to get more ; 

 and will endeavour to put it out of doubt whether 

 it be a nondescript species or not. 



I suspect much there may be two species of 

 water-rats. Ray says, and Linnaeus after him, that 

 the water-rat is web-footed behind. Now I have dis- 

 covered a rat on the banks of our little stream that 

 is not web-footed, and yet is an excellent swimmer 

 and diver : it answers exactly to the Mus ampJiibius 

 of Linnaeus, which, he says, swims and dives in 

 ditches, *' natat in fossis et urinatur." I should be 

 glad to procure " one with the feet feathering out 



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