16 NATURAL HISTORY 



the evening. They cannot, I think, with 

 any propriety, be called as they are by Mr. 

 Hai/, " circa aquas versantes ;" for with us, 

 by day at least, they haunt only the most 

 dry, open, upland fields and sheep-walks, 

 far removed from water : what they may 

 do in the night I cannot say. Worms are 

 their usual food, but they also eat toads 

 and frogs. 



I can show you some good specimens of 

 my new mice. LinncEus perhaps would call 

 the species mus niiniuius. 



LETTER XVI. 



TO THE SAME. 



DEAR SIR; Selbornk, AprU 18, 1768. 



J HE history of the stone curlew charadrius 

 oedicnemus, is as follows. It lays its eggs, 

 usually two, never more than three, on the 

 bare ground, without any nest, in the 

 held ; so that the countryman, in stirring 



