177 
with Lord Macartney: 8 but whether some Mandareen will read it, 
I know not. We have a young Gent, here now on a visit, the son 
of our late Vicar Etty, who assures me, that at Canton he has seen 
the Chinese reading English books ; & ha3 heard them converse 
sensibly on the manners, & police of this kingdom. The Chif- 
Chaf of this village is the smallest willow wren of my History. 7 
Once I had a spaniel that was pupped in a rabbit burrough on the 
vergo of Wolnior forest. Tho’ I have long ceased to bo a sportsman, 
yet I still love a dog ; & am attended daily by a beautiful spaniel 
with long ears, & a spotted nose & logs, who amuses mo in my 
walks by sometimes springing a pheasant, or partridge, & seldom 
by Hushing a woodcock, of late become with us a very rare bird, 
ltemomber tho story of Pylades & Orestes ; & do not say that 
• exalted friendship never existed among men. Chif -Chaf , the first 
bird of passage, was heard hero March 20: — swallow was seen 
March 2G: — nightingale, And cuckoo Apr. 9: — House martins 
April 12: — Redstart April 19: — Swift April 14: — Fern owl 
heard May 19: — Fly -catcher , the latest summer bird, May 20. 
Wo have experienced a very black wet summer, & solstice ; but 
none of those floods & devastations mentioned in the newspapers ! 
Indeed we know no Hoods here, but frequent rains. Yet in warm 
summers wo have as fino melons, & grapes, & wall-fruit as I 
have ever seen. July at an average produces the most rain of any 
English month. This last measured 5 in. & 15 h. — Pray, 
good Sir, procure better ink : your’s is so pale, that it often renders 
y r - neat hand scarcely legible ! I am now offering my intelligent 
young neighbours sixpence for every authentic anecdote that they 
can bring me respecting Fern-owls ; & will give you the same 
sum for the same information. As I was coming over our down 
after sun-set lately, a cock bird amused us much by flying round 
& settling often on the turf. As he passed us, he often gave a 
short squeak, or rather whistle. We were near his nest. These, 
like other birds of passage, frequent the same spots. 8 There are 
' Lord Macartney’s embassy to China sailed from Portsmouth, 26th 
September, 1792 (Staunton’s ‘ Authentic Account,’ &c., i., p. 53). — A. N. 
7 See Letter XVI. to Pennant. — J. E. II. 
* That is, the spots which they have frequented in former years. This 
has been ascertained to be true of Nightingales, Swallows, Swifts, and some 
other birds. — J. E. II. 
