LETTERS TO THE HON. DAINES BARRINGTON.
LETTER I.
Selborne, June 30th, 1769
Dear Sir,—When I was in town last month I partly engaged that I would sometimes 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 outdoor naturalist, one that takes his observations from the subject itself, and not from the writings of others.
The following is a List of the Summer Birds of Passage which I have discovered in this neighbourhood, ranged somewhat in the order in which they appear:
| RAII NOMINA. | USUALLY APPEARS ABOUT. | |
| 1. Wryneck. | Jynx, sive Torquilla, | The middle of March: harsh note. |
| 2. Smallest willow-wren, | Regulus non cristatus. | March 23rd : chirps till September. |
| 3. Swallow, | Hirundo domestica. | April 13th. |
| 4. Martin, | Hirundo rustica. | Ditto. |
| 5. Sand-martin, | Hirundo riparia. | Ditto. |
| 6. Black-cap, | Atricapilla. | Ditto : a sweet wild note. |
| 7. Nightingale, | Luscinia. | Beginning of April. |
| 8. Cuckoo, | Cuculus. | Middle of April. |
| 9. Middle willow-wren, | Regulus non cristatus. | Ditto: a sweet plaintive note. |
| 10. White-throat, | Ficedulæ affinis. | Ditto: mean note; sings on till September. |
| 11. Red-start, | Ruticilla. | Ditto: more agreeable song. |
| 12. Stone-Curlew, | Œdicnemus. | End of March: loud nocturnal whistle. |
| 13. Turtle-dove, | Turtur. |
