OF SELBORNE. 171 



and a crowd may make each individual appear safer from 

 the ravages of birds of prey and other dangers. 



If I admire when I see how much congenerous birds love 

 to congregate, I am the more struck when I see incon- 

 gruous ones in such strict amity. If we do not much 

 wonder to see a flock of rooks usually attended by a train 

 of daws, yet it is strange that the former should so fre- 

 quently have a flight of starlings for their satellites. Is it 

 Decause rooks have a more discerning scent than their 

 attendants, and can lead them to spots more productive of 

 food? Anatomists say that rooks, by reason of two large 

 nerves which run down between the eyes into the upper 

 mandible, have a more delicate feeling in their beaks than 

 other round-billed birds, and can grope for their meat when 

 out of sight. Perhaps, then, their associates attend them 

 on the motive of interest, as greyhounds when on the 

 motions of their finders ; and as lions are said to do on the 

 yelpings of jackals. Lapwings and starlings sometimes 

 associate. 



LETTER XII. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 



March 0, 1772. 



S a gentleman and myself were walking on 

 the 4th of last November round the sea- 

 banks at Newhaven, near the mouth of the 

 Lewes river, in pursuit of natural knowledge, 

 we were surprised to see three house swallows 

 gliding very swiftly by us. That morning was rather chilly, 

 with the wind at north-west; but the tenor of the weather 

 for some time before had been delicate, and the noons re- 

 markably warm. From this incident, and from repeated 

 accounts which I meet with, I am more and more induced 

 to believe that many of the swallow kind do not depart 

 from this island; but lay themselves up in holes and 



