OF SELBORNE. 287 



low shrubs above the cottages at the end of the hill. This 

 spot in many respects seems to be well calculated for their 

 winter residence: for in many parts it is as steep as the roof 

 of any house, and, therefore, secure from the annoyances of 

 water; and it is, moreover, clothed with beechen shrubs, 

 which, being stunted and bitten by sheep, make the thickest 

 covert imaginable, and are so entangled as to be impervious 

 to the smallest spaniel : besides, it is the nature of under- 

 wood beech never to cast its leaf all the winter, so that, with 

 the leaves on the ground, and those on the twigs, no shelter 

 can be more complete. I watched them on to the 13th and 

 14th of October, and found their evening retreat was exact 

 and uniform ; but after this they made no regular appear- 

 ance. Now and then a straggler was seen; and, on the 

 22nd of October, I observed two, in the morning, over the 

 village, and with them my remarks for the season ended. 



From all these circumstances put together, it is more 

 than probable that this lingering flight, at so late a season 

 of the year, never departed from the island. 1 Had they 

 indulged me that autumn with a November visit, as I much 

 desired, I presume that, with proper assistants, I should 

 have settled the matter past all doubt ; but though the 3rd 

 of November was a sweet day, and in appearance exactly 

 suited to my wishes, yet not a martin was to be seen, and 

 so I was forced, reluctantly, to give up the pursuit. 



I have only to add, that were the bushes, which cover 

 some acres, and are not my own property, to be grubbed 

 and carefully examined, probably those late broods, and 

 perhaps the whole aggregate bodj of the house martins of 



1 Upon this passage the Rev. Mr. Herbert remarks that the author 

 appears to have a strong bias to believe that martins, &c., remain dor- 

 mant in this country, having " taken up a very erroneous notion of the 

 difficulty of the passage," and "drawing from circumstances probabilities 

 which are not justified by his statements." It is scarcely necessary at 

 the present day, either to follow or support Mr. Herbert in his argu- 

 ments against hybernation, and in favour of migration, since all well- 

 informed naturalists are now agreed that the theory advanced by Gilbert 

 White is untenable. Were any proof of migration required, much 

 stronger evidence than that adduced by Mr. Herbert could readily be 

 supplied. ED. 



