90 
NATTJEAL HISTOHY OF SELBOENE 
« 
LETTEE 1. 
TO THE HONOUEABLE DAINES BAERINGTON. 
Selboene, June 30^^, 1769. 
Dear Sir, — When I was in town last month I partly engaged that I 
would sometime do myself the honour to write to you on the subject 
of natural history ; and I am the more ready to fulfil my promise, 
because I see you are a gentleman of great candour, and one that will 
make allowances ; especially where the writer professes to be an out- 
door naturalist, one that takes his observations from the subject itself, 
and not from the writings of others.* 
The FOLLowiNa is a List of the Summer Birds op Passage which 
I HAVE discovered IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD, RANGED SOMEWHAT IN 
THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY APPEAR : 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
} 
1. Wryneck, 
2. Smallest willow- 
wren, 
Swallow, 
Martin, 
Sand-martin, 
Black-cap, 
Nightingale, 
8. Cuckoo, 
9. Middle willow-wren, 
10. White-throat, 
11. Ked-start, 
12. Stone-curlew, 
13. Turtle-dove, 
RAII NOMINA. 
Jynx, sive Torquilla. 
Regulus non cristatus, 
Hirundo domestica, 
Hirundo rustica^ 
Hirundo riparia, 
Atricapilla, 
Lusciniay 
Cuculus, 
Regulus non cristatus, 
Ficedulce affinis. 
Ruticilla. 
CEdicnemus. 
Turiur. 
USUALLY APPEARS ABOUT 
J The middle of March : harsh 
note. 
J March 23 : chirps till Septem- 
\ ber. 
April 13. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto : a sweet wild note. 
Beginning of April. 
Middle of April. 
Ditto : a sweet plaintive note, 
f Ditto ; mean note ; sings on till 
( September. 
Ditto : more agreeable song, 
r End of March : loud noctm'nal 
\ whistle. 
* These letters to the Hon. Daines Bairington, though arranged in the original 
and subsequent editions together, and as forming a second part, were mostly 
written contemporaneously, or at least were dated to appear so, with those of the 
first series addressed to Pennant. They are written in the same unpretending 
style, answering questions, asking others, and suggesting subjects as before. 
The matter of the letters is also somewhat similar, and repetitions sometimes 
occur, but other subjects are at the same time introduced, arising from the 
different bearing of Mr. Barrington's pursuits. 
In the first letter lists of the summer and winter migratory birds are given. 
These lists in all probability might stand nearly the same at the present day, if we 
add to the first the third willow wren and greater pettychaps. We have scarcely ever 
known a locality frequented by the black-cap where the latter was not also found. 
White gives the wheat-ear among his permanent residents ; " in this he is 
probably right in regard to a few birds, but surely the large mass that arrive upon 
the downs will come and go as in other parts. We would make the same obser- 
vation of his "yellow wagtail, " which we believe is everywhere in this country 
a true migrant. In the winter list the ring-ousel is introduced, but this bird is a 
summer migrant to the north, and appeared, as White has often observed, in 
spring and autumn, remaining only a few days at each period during its passage 
northward or southward. We are not sure which of the wild geese is meant 
by the " Anserferus;" in all probability it is not so frequent or numerous now if it 
continues to visit the district at all, and this letter is just one of those which 
Professor Bell or some one resident can best correct and explain. 
