OF SELBOBNE. 
279 
LETTER LI. 
TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 
Selborne, Sept. 3, 1781. 
HAVE now read your Miscellanies through 
with much care and satisfaction ; and am to 
return you my best thanks for the honour- 
able 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 employed 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 flew 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. 
