xcv.] 
OF SELBORNE. 
257 
LETTEE XCV. 
TO TEE HONOURABLE DAINES BARBJNGTON. 
I HAVE now read your miscellanies through with much care and 
satisfaction ; and am to return you my best thanks for the 
honourable mention made in them of me as a naturalist, which 
I wish I may deserve. 
In some former letters I expressed my suspicions that many 
of the house-martins do not depart in the winter far from this 
village. I therefore determined to make some search about the 
south-east end of the hill, where I imagined they might slumber 
out the uncomfortable months of winter. But supposing that 
the examination would be made to the best advantage in the 
spring, and observing that no martins had appeared by the 11th 
of April last, on that day I eui ployed some men to explore the 
shrubs and cavities of the suspected spot. The persons took 
pains, but without any success ; however, a remarkable incident 
occurred in the midst of our pursuit — while the labourers were 
at work a house-martin, the first that had been seen this year, 
came down the village in the sight of several people, and went 
at once into a nest, where it stayed a short time, and then Hew 
over the houses ; for some days after no martins were observed, 
not till the 16th of April, and then only a pair. Martins in 
general were remarkably late this year. 
" - — — — daffodils 
That come before the swallow dares, and take 
The winds of March with beauty." 
Selborn^., Sept. 3, 1781. 
S 
