OF SELBORNE 251 



wanderers and stragglers, and impelled to make so distant 

 and northern an excursion from motives or accidents for 

 which we are not able to account. One thing may fairly 

 be deduced, that these birds come over to us from tho 

 continent, since nobody can suppose that a species not 

 noticed once in an age, and of such a remarkable make, 

 can constantly breed unobserved in this kingdom. 



LETTER L 



Dear Sir, 



Selborne, April 21, 1780. 



The old Sussex tortoise, that I have mentioned to you 

 so often, is become my poperty. I dug it out of its 

 winter dormitory in March last, when it was enough 

 awakened to express its resentments by hissing ; and, 

 packing it in a box with earth, carried it eighty miles in 

 post-chaise. The rattle and hurry of the journey so 

 perfectly roused it that, when I turned it out on a border, 

 it walked twice down to the bottom of my garden ; how- 

 ever, in the evening, the weather being cold, it buried 

 itself in the loose mould, and continues still concealed. 



As it will be under my eye, I shall now have an 

 opportunity of enlarging my observations on its mode 

 of life, and propensities ; and perceive already that, 

 towards the time of coming forth, it opens a breathing 

 place in the ground near its head, requiring, I conclude, 

 a freer respiration, as it becomes more alive. This 

 creature not only goes under the earth from the middle 

 of November to the middle of April, but sleeps great 

 part of the summer ; for it goes to bed in the longest 

 days at four in the afternoon, and often does not stir in 



