530 NATURAL HISTORY 



valuable friend, and in former days near neighbour during 

 the summer months. For though his usual abode was at 

 Teddington, yet did he for many years reside for about 

 two months at his rectory of Faringdon, which is only two 

 miles from hence ; and was well known to my grandfather 

 and father, as well as to myself. If I might presume to 

 say that what you see respecting the copulation of toads is, 

 I think, a mistake, you will pardon my boldness ; because 

 the amours carried on in pools and wet ditches in the 

 spring time are performed by frogs, which are more black 

 and bloated at that season than afterwards. As to toads, 

 they seem to be more reserved in their intrigues. 1 



With regard to the annual increase of swallows, and that 

 those that return bear no manner of proportion to those 

 that depart ; 2 it is a subject so strange, that it will be best 

 for me to say little. I suppose that nature, ever provident, 

 intends the vast increase as a balance to some great devas- 

 tations to which they may be liable either in their emigra- 

 tions or winter retreats. Our swifts have been gone about 

 a week P but the other hirundines have sent forth their first 

 broods in vast abundance; and are now busied in the 

 rearing of a second family. Myself and visitors have often 

 paid due attention to the oak in the Holt, which ought 



1717. In the sixth letter of the present series it will be seen that 

 allusion is made in some detail to the philosophical pursuits in which he 

 was wont to engage. He died 4th Jan. 1761. 



The family of Hales was originally seated at Hales Place, in Halden, 

 Kent, whence they were usually called " at-Hale." Nicholas at-Hale, 

 or Hales, lived there at the latter end of the reign of Edward III. See 

 Hasted' s " History of Kent," vol. ii. p. 576 (1782), and vol. iii. p. 716, 

 (1790). ED. 



1 See Letter XVII. to Pennant, and the notes thereto, p. 61. ED. 



2 This observation occurs, nearly in the same words, in Letter 

 XXXIX. to Daines Barrington, p. 247. ED. 



3 The early retreat of the swift, " so many weeks before its con- 

 geners," is a circumstance to which White has frequently alluded. See 

 Letter XXVI. to Pennant, p. 90. Elsewhere he remarks, "they 

 usually withdraw within the first week of August." See Letter 

 XXXVII. to Pennant, p. 114. ED. 



