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NATURAL HISTORY 



LETTER XXVI. , 



TO THE SAME. 



DEAR SIR ; Selborne, Nov. 1, 17T5. 



" Hie ' taedae pingues, hie plurimus ignis 

 " Sempei% et assidu^ postes fuligine nigri." 



I SHALL make no apology for troubling 

 you with the detail of a very simple piece 

 of domestic ceconomy, being satisfied that 

 you think nothing beneath your attention 

 that tends to utility : the matter alluded to 

 is the use of rushes instead of candles, which 

 I am well aware prevails in many districts 

 besides this ; but as I know there are coun- 

 tries also where it does not obtain, and as 

 I have considered the subject with some 

 degree of exactness, I shall proceed in my 

 humble story, and leave you to judge of 

 the expediency. 



The proper species of rush for this pur- 

 pose seems to be i\\e juncus conglomeratus, 



