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NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



LETTEE I. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 



SELBORNE, June SOth, 1769. 



DEAR SIR, When I was in town last month I partly engaged that I 

 would sometime do myself the honour to write to you on the subject 

 of natural history ; and I am the more ready to fulfil my promise, 

 because I see you are a gentleman of great candour, and one that will 

 make allowances ; especially where the writer professes to be an out- 

 door naturalist, one that takes his observations from the subject itself, 

 and not from the writings of others.* 



THE FOLLOWING is A LIST OP THE SUMMER BIRDS OF PASSAGE WHICH 



I HAVE DISCOVERED IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD, RANGED SOMEWHAT IN 

 THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY APPEAB, : 



1. Wryneck, 



2. Smallest willow- ) 



wren, J 



3. Swallow, 



4. Martin, 



5. Sand-martin, 



6. Black-cap, 



7. Nightingale, 



8. Cuckoo, 



9. Middle willow-wren, 



10. White-throat, 



11. Red-start, 



12. Stone-curlew, 



13. Turtle-dove, 



RAII NOMINA. 



Jynx, sive Torquilla. 



Regulus non cristatus, 



Hirundo domestica, 



Hirundo rustica, 



Hirundo riparia, 



Atricapitta, 



Luscinia, 



Cuculus, 



Regulus non cristatus, 



Ficedulce affinis. 

 RuticiUa. 

 CEdicnemus. 

 Turtur. 



USUALLY APPEARS ABOUT 



( The middle of March: harsh 

 1 note. 



/March 23: chirps till Septem- 

 \ her. 



April 13. 



Ditto. 



Ditto. 



Ditto : a sweet wild note. 



Beginning of April. 



Middle of April. 



Ditto : a sweet plaintive note, 

 f Ditto ; mean note ; sings on till 

 \ September. 



Ditto : more agreeable song. 

 f End of March : loud nocturnal 

 1 whistle. 



* These letters to the Hon. Daines Bairington, though arranged in the original 

 and subsequent editions together, and as forming a second part, were mostly 

 written contemporaneously, or at least were dated to appear so, with those of the 

 first series addressed to Pennant. They are written in the same unpretending 

 style, answering questions, asking others, and suggesting subjects as before. 

 The matter of the letters is also somewhat similar, and repetitions sometimes 

 occur, but other subjects are at the same time introduced, arising from the 

 different bearing of Mr. Barrington's pursuits. 



In the first letter lists of the summer and winter migratory birds are given. 

 These lists in all probability might stand nearly the same at the present day, if we 

 add to the first the third willow wren and greater pettychaps. We have scarcely ever 

 known a locality frequented by the black-cap where the latter was not also found. 

 White gives the wheat-ear among his " permanent residents ; " in this he is 

 probably right in regard to a few birds, but surely the large mass that arrive upon 

 the downs will come and go as in other parts. We would make the same obser- 

 vation of his "yellow wagtail," which we believe is everywhere in this country 

 a true migrant. In the winter list the ring-ousel is introduced, but this bird is a 

 summer migrant to the north, and appeared, as White has often observed, in 

 spring and autumn, remaining only a few days at each period during its passage 

 northward or southward. We are not sure svhich of the wild geese is meant 

 by the " Anserferus;" in all probability it is not so frequent or numerous now if it 

 continues to visit the district at all, and this letter is just one of those which 

 Professor Bell or some one resident can best correct and explain. 



