OF S EL BORNE. 83 
Pray how do you approve of ScopoU's new work ? as I admire 
■his Entomologia, I long to fee it. 
I forgot to mention in my lafb letter (and had not room to 
infert in the former) that the male moofe, in rutting time, fwims 
from ifland to ifland, in the lakes and rivers of North-America, in 
purfuit of the females. My friend, the chaplain, faw one killed 
•in the water as it was on that errand in the river St. Lazvrence : it 
was a monftrous beaft, he told m.e ; but he did not take the 
4imen(Ions. 
When I was laft in town our friend Mr, Barrington moft 
obligingly carried me to fee many curious fights. As you were 
then writing to him about horns, he carried me to fee many 
ilrange and wonderful fpeciniens. There is, I remember, at Lord 
Pembroke's, at Wilton, an horn room furnillied with more than 
thirty different pairs ; but I have not feen that houfe lately. 
Mr. Barrington Ihewed me many aftonifhing collections of fluffed 
and living birds from all quarters of the world. After I had 
iludied over the latter for a time, I remarked that every fpecies 
almoft that came from diilant regions, fuch as South America, the 
coafl of Guinea, &c. were thick -billed birds of the loxia and 
fringilla genera; and no motacilla, or nmfcicap,^, were to be met 
with. When I came to confider, the reafon was obvious 
enough ; for the hard-billed birds fubfift on feeds which are eafily 
carried on board; while the foft-billed birds, which are fupported 
by worms and infedls, or, what is a fuccedancum for them, frefli 
raw meat, can meet with neither iu long and tedious voyages. It 
is from this defed: of food that our collections (curious as they are) 
are defeftive, and we are deprived of fome of the moft: delicate 
and lively genera, I am, &c. 
M 2 
LETTER 
