46 



NATURAL HISTORY 



LETTER XIII. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE. 



SELBORNE, Jan. 22, 1768. 



S in one of your former letters you expressed 

 the more satisfaction from my corre- 

 spondence on account of my living in the 

 most southerly county ; so now I may 

 return the compliment, and expect to have 



my curiosity gratified by your living much more to the 



north. 



CHAFFINCH. 



For many years past I have observed that towards 

 Christmas vast flocks of chaffinches have appeared in the 

 fields ; many more, I used to think, than could be hatched 

 in any one neighbourhood. But, when I came to observe 

 them more narrowly, I was amazed to find that they seemed 

 to me to be almost all hens. I communicated my suspicions 

 to some intelligent neighbours, who, after taking pains 

 about the matter, declared that they also thought them all 

 mostly females ; at least fifty to one. This extraordinary 

 occurrence brought to my mind the remark of Linnasus ; 



