OF SELBORNE. 155 
this place annually about this time. The birds moft common along 
the coaft at prefent are the ftone-chatters, whinchats, buntings, 
linnets, fome few wheat-ears, titlarks, &c. Swallows and houfe- 
martins abound yet, induced to prolong their ftay by this foft, ftill, 
dry feafon. 
A land tortoife, which has been kept for thirty years in a little 
walled court belonging to the houfe where I now am vifiting, 
retires under ground about the middle of November, and comes forth 
again about the middle of April. When it firft appears in the 
fpring it difcovers very little inclination towards food ; but in the 
height of fummer grows voracious : and then as the fummer de- 
clines it's appetite declines ; fo that for the laft fix weeks in autumn 
it hardly eats at all. Milky plants, fuch as lettuces, dandelions, 
fowthiftles, are it's favourite difh. In a neighbouring village one 
was kept till by tradition it was fuppofed to be an hundred years- 
old. An inftance of vaft longevity in fuch a poor reptile ! 
LETTER VIIL 
TO THE SAME, 
DEAR SIR, Sei.eorne, Dec. 20, 1770. 
The birds that I ioo\i ior aherdavines w&xq Teed-{p3.r\:o\\s fpaffercS' 
torquati.) 
There are doubtlcfs many home internal migrations within this 
kingdom that want to be better underftood : witnefs thofe vaft 
flocks of hen chaffinches that appear with us in the winter without 
hardly any cocks among them. Now was there a due proportion 
