128 SUMMER BIRDS OF PASSAGE. 



at least, he shows at once that he compares them to these 

 species merely from memory ; for I have compared the birds 

 themselves, and find they differ widely in every circumstance 

 of shape, size, and colour. However, as you will have a 

 specimen, I shall be glad to hear what your judgment is in 

 the matter. 



Whether my brother is forestalled in his nondescript or 

 not, he will have the credit of first discovering that they 

 spend their winters under the warm and sheltery shores of 

 Gibraltar and Barbary. 



Scopoli's characters of his Ordines and Genera are clear, 

 just, and expressive, and much in the spirit of Linnaeus. 

 These few remarks are the result of my first perusal of 

 Scopoli's Annus Primus. 



The bane of our science is the comparing one animal to 

 the other by memory. For want of caution in this parti- 

 cular, Scopoli falls into errors. He is not so full with regard 

 to the manners of his indigenous birds as might be wished, 

 as you justly observe: his Latin is easy, elegant, and 

 expressive, and very superior to Kramer's.* 



LETTER XL. 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBORNE, Nov. 26, 1770. - 



DEAR SIR, I was much pleased to see, among the collection 

 of birds from Gibraltar, some of those short-winged English 

 summer birds of passage, concerning whose departure we 

 have made so much inquiry. Now, if these birds are found, 

 in Andalusia, to migrate to and from Barbary, it may easily 

 be supposed that those that come to us may migrate back to 

 the continent, and spend their winters in some of the warmer 

 parts of Europe. This is certain, that many soft-billed birds 

 that come to Gibraltar appear there only in spring and 



* See hhElenchus Vegetdbilium et A nimalium per A ustriam Inferiorem, 

 &C., " Summary of Vegetables and Animals in Lower Austria." 



