vember the 3rd and 6th, after they were supposed 

 to have been gone for more than a fortnight. They 

 therefore withdraw with us the latest of any species. 

 Unless these birds are very short-lived indeed, or 

 unless they do not return to the district where they 

 are bred, they must undergo vast devastations some- 

 how, and somewhere ; for the birds that return 

 yearly bear no manner of proportion to the birds 

 that retire. 



House-martins are distinguished from their 

 congeners by having their legs covered with soft, 

 downy feathers down to their toes. They are no 

 songsters ; but twitter in a pretty inward soft man- 

 ner in their nests. During the time of breeding 

 they are often greatly molested with fleas. 



Selborne, Nov. 20, 1773. 



LETTER LVI. 

 To THE Honourable Daines Barrington. 



I RECEIVED your last favour just as I was setting 

 out for this place ; and am pleased to find that my 

 monograph met with your approbation. My re- 

 marks are the result of many years' observations ; 

 and are, I trust, true in the whole : though I do not 

 pretend to say that they are perfectly void of 

 mistake, or that a more nice observer might not 



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