The natural history of Selborne . , is tamed, and hathbeen tamed, of mankind.* It is a satisfaction to me to find that a greenlizard has actually been procured for you in Dev-onshire, because it corroborates my discovery,which I made many years ago, of the same sort,on a sunny sandbank near Farnham, in am well acquainted with the south hams of Dev- * James chap, iii,, 7. 84 NATURAL HISTORY onshire, and can suppose that district, from itssoutherly situation, to be a proper habitation forsuch animals in their best colours. Since the ringousels of your vast mountains docertainly not fors
The natural history of Selborne . , is tamed, and hathbeen tamed, of mankind.* It is a satisfaction to me to find that a greenlizard has actually been procured for you in Dev-onshire, because it corroborates my discovery,which I made many years ago, of the same sort,on a sunny sandbank near Farnham, in am well acquainted with the south hams of Dev- * James chap, iii,, 7. 84 NATURAL HISTORY onshire, and can suppose that district, from itssoutherly situation, to be a proper habitation forsuch animals in their best colours. Since the ringousels of your vast mountains docertainly not forsake them against winter, our sus-picions that those which visit this neighbourhoodabout Michaelmas are not English birds, but drivenfrom the more northern parts of Europe by thefrosts, are still more reasonable ; and it will beworth your pains to endeavour to trace from whencethey come, and to inquire why they make so veryshort a stay. In your account of your error with regard to thetwo species of Herons, you incidentally gave me. great entertainment in your description of the her-onry at Cressi Hall, which is a curiosity I nevercould manage to see. Fourscore nests of such abird on one tree is a rarity which I would ridehalf as many miles to have a sight of. Pray besure to tell me in your next whose seat Cressi Hall OF SELBORNE. 63 is, and near what town it lies.* I have oftenthought that those vast extent of fens have neverbeen sufficiently explored. If half a dozen gentle-men, furnished with a good strength of water-spaniels, were to beat them over for a week, theywould certainly find more species. There is no bird, I believe, whose manners Ihave studied more than that of the caprimulgus(the Goat-sucker), as it is a wonderful and curiouscreature ; but I have always found that thoughsometimes it^may chatter as it flies, as I know itdoes, yet in general it utters its jarring note sit-ting on a bough; and I have for many a half hour
Size: 1599px × 1563px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
