NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 89 



rendezvoused here by thousands, if they happened to be suddenly 

 roused from their roost-trees on an evening, 



1 ' Their rising all at once was like the sound 

 Of thunder heard remote. " 



It will by no means be foreign to the present purpose to add, that I 

 had a relation in this neighbourhood who made it a practice, for a 

 time, whenever he could procure the eggs of a ring-dove, to place them 

 under a pair of doves that were sitting in his own pigeon-house; 

 hoping thereby, if he could bring about a coalition, to enlarge his 

 breed, and teach his own doves to beat out into the woods and to 

 support themselves by mast : the plan was plausible, but something 

 always interrupted the success ; for though the birds were usually 

 hatched, and sometimes grew to half their size, yet none ever arrived 

 at maturity. I myself have seen these foundlings in their nest 

 displaying a strange ferocity of nature, so as scarcely to bear to be 

 looked at, and snapping with their bills by way of menace. In short, 

 they always died, perhaps for want of proper sustenance : but the 

 owner thought that by their fierce and wild demeanour they frighted 

 their foster mothers, and so were starved. 



Yirgil, as a familiar occurrence, by way of simile, describes a dove 

 haunting the cavern of a rock in such engaging numbers, that I cannot 

 refrain from quoting the passage : and John Dryden has rendered it so 

 happily in our language, that without farther excuse I shall add his 

 translation also. 



"Qualis speluncS, subitb commota Colrimba, 

 Cui domus, et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 

 Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 

 Dat tecto ingentem mox aere lapsa quieto, 

 Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas. " 



" As when a dove her rocky hold forsakes, 

 fright her sounding wings sh 



Rous'd, in a fright her sounding wings she shakes ; 

 The cavern rings with clattering : out she flies, 

 And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies : 

 At first she flutters : but at length she springs 

 To smoother flight, and shopts upon her wings." 



I am, &c. 



