NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 101 



you kept (Passer torquatus Rail) abides all the year, and is a thick- 

 billed bird.* I question whether the latter be much of a songster; 

 but in this matter I want to be 

 better informed. The former has 

 a variety of hurrying notes, and 

 sings all night. Some part of the 

 song of the former, I suspect, is 

 attributed to the latter. We have 

 plenty of the soft-billed sort ; 

 which Mr. Pennant had entirely 

 left out of his "British Zoology, 

 till I reminded him of his omission. 

 See " British Zoology " last pub- 

 lished, p. 16.t 



I have somewhat to advance on HEED-BUNTING. 



the different manners in which 



different birds fly and walk ; but as this is a subject that I have not 

 enough considered, and is of such a nature as not to be contained in a 

 small space, I shall say nothing further about it at present.J 



No doubt the reason why the sex of birds in their first plumage is so 

 difficult to be distinguished is, as you say, " because they are not to 

 pair and discharge their parental functions till the ensuing spring." 

 As colours seem to be the chief external sexual distinction in many 

 birds, these colours do not take place till sexual attachments begin to 

 obtain. And the case is the same in quadrupeds ; among whom, in 

 their younger days, the sexes differ but little : but, as they advance to 

 maturity, horns and shaggy manes, beards and brawny necks, &c. &c., 

 strongly discriminate the male from the female. We may instance still 

 farther in our own species, where a beard and stronger features are 

 usually characteristic of the male sex : but this sexual diversity does 

 not take place in earlier life ; for a beautiful youth shall be so like a 

 beautiful girl that the difference shall not be discernible ; 



" Quern si puellarum insereres choro, 

 Mire sagaces falleret hospites 

 Discrimen obscurum, solutis 

 Crinibus, ambiguoque vultu." 



HOR. ODES. II. od. 521, p. 131, orig. edit. 



* Emberiza schoeniclm, reed-bunting of British ornithologists. 

 t See Letter XXV. to Mr. Pennant. t See Letter XLII. to Mr. Harrington. 



" Nor the Cnidian fair and young, 

 Who the virgin quire among, 

 Might deceive, in female guise, 

 Stranger-guests, though wondrous wise ; 

 With the difference between 

 Sexes hardly to be seen, 

 With his hair of flowing grace 

 And his boyish, girlish face." REV. PHIL. FRANCIS. 



There are somewhat similar passages in various Latin authors, viz., 



" Beneath whose virgin locks, while flowing tears 

 Bedew his cheek, a doubtful face appears. " JUVEN. 



