OF SELBOBNE. 139 
Birds that sing in the night are but few.^ 
XT- 1 1 r • ■ ( " In shadiest covert liid." 
Nifffltinffale, Luscinia: { 
* ° ' ( Milton. 
Woodlarky Alauda arhorea: Suspended in mid air. 
Less reed spar- 4 Passer arundina- i . j j -n 
^ ^ . > Amonor reeds and willows, 
row, \ ceus minor: ) ° 
I should now proceed to such birds as continue to sing 
after midsummer, but as they are rather numerous, they 
would exceed the bounds of this paper; besides, as this 
is now the season for remarking on that subject, I am 
willing to repeat my obseryations on some birds concerning 
the continuation of whose song I seem at present to have 
some doubt. 
LETTER II. 
TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 
Selborne, Nov. 2, 1769. 
^HEIS^ I did myself the honour to write to you 
about the end of last June on the subject of 
natural history, I sent you a list of the 
summer birds of passage which I have 
observed in this neighbourhood ; and also 
a list of the winter birds of passage ; I mentioned besides 
those soft-billed birds that stay with us the winter through 
in the south of England, and those that are remarkable for 
singing in the night. 
According to my proposal, I shall now proceed to such 
birds (singing birds strictly so called) as continue in full 
song till after midsummer ; and shall range them somewhat 
^ Some others might have been added, as the reed warbler, the grass- 
hopper warbler, and the cuckoo. The sky-lark often sings very late, 
and the note of the corncrake may frequently be heard in May between 
11 and 12 p.m. The "less reed sparrow," Passer arundaccus minor, 
above mentioned is the sedge warbler, Salicaria phragmitis (Bech- 
stein). — Ed. 
