188 NATURAL HISTORY 



but discovered that a good house had been 

 kept : the larder was well stored with pro- 

 visions ; for he brought down a young 

 blackbird, jay, and house-martin, all clean 

 picked, and some half devoured. The old 

 birds had been observed to make sad 

 havock for some days among the new- 

 flown swallows and martins, which, being 

 but lately out of their nests, had not 

 acquired those powers and command of 

 wing that enable them, when more ma- 

 ture, to set such enemies at defiance. 



LETTER XLIV. 



TO THE SAME. 

 DEAR SIR; Selborne, Nov. SO, 1780. 



Every incident that occasions a renewal 

 of our correspondence will ever be pleasing 

 and agreeable to me. 



As to the wild wood-pigeon^ the oenas, or 

 vinago, of Ray, I am much of your mind ; 



