260
curiofity to fee the Jlilt plover move; to obferve how it can wield
fuch a length of lever with fueh feeble mufcles as the thighs £bem
to be furnilhed with. At beft one fliould expeft it to be but a
bad walker: but what adds to the wonder is, that it has no backtoe.
Now without that Ready prop to fupport it’s Reps it muR be
liable, in (peculation, to perpetual vacillations, and feldom able
to preferve the true center of gravity.
The old name of hmantopus is taken from Pliny; and, by an,
aukward metaphor, implies that the legs are as Render and pliant
as if cut out of a thoqg of leather. Neither WiUugbby nor Ray, in
all their curious refearches, either at home or abroad, ever faw
this bird. Mr. Pennant never met with it in all Great-Britain, but
obferved it often in the cabinets of the curious at Paris. HafJelquiJ}-
fays that it migrates, to Egypt in the autumn : and a moR accurate
obl’ervcr of Nature has afiured me that he has found it on the-
banks of the fireams m Andahifia.
Our writers record it to have been found only twice in Great-
Britain. From all thefe relations it plainly appears that thefe long
legged plovers are birds of South Europe, and rarely vifit our ifland a
and when they do are wanderers and Rragglers, and impelled to
make fo diRant and northern an excurfion from motives or accidents
for which we are not able to account. One thing may
fairly be deduced, that thefe birds come over to us from the continent,
finee nobody can fuppofe that a fpecies not noticed once in;
an age, and of fuch a remarkable make, can conRantly breed un.
obfbrved in this kingdom.
L E T T E R
TO THE SAME.
D E A R S .IR , Seleorke, April 41, 17 So.
T h e old Sufex tortoile, that I have mentioned to you fo often, is
become my property. I dug it out of it s winter dormitory in
March laft, when it was enough awakened to exprefs it’s refentments.
by h illin g a n d , packing it in a box with earth, carried it eighty
miles in poR-chaifes. The rattle and hurry of the journey fo perfectly
roufed it that, when I turned it-out on a border, it walked
twice down to the bottom of my garden ; however, in the evening,
the weather being cold, it buried itfelf in the loofe mould,
and continues Rill concealed.
As it will be under my eye, I fliall now have an opportunity o f
enlarging my obfervations on it’s mode of life, and propenlities;
and perceive already that, towards the time of coming forth, it
opens a breathing place in the ground near it’s head, requiring,
I conclude, a freer refpiration as it becomes more alive. This
creature not only goes under the earth from the middle o f
November to^the middle of April, but fleeps great part of the
fummer; for it goes to bed in the longeR days at four in the
aRernoon, and often does not Rir in the morning till late. Be-
fides, it retires to refl for every fliower ; and does not move at all
in wet days.
When