THE REV. JOHN WHITE. 10 



I leave these parts. And by Christmas, I fear, the severe 

 weather will much impede our expedition, which will be a 

 sort of migration reversed, to the north instead of the south. 

 However, if it please God to enable me, I hope to get to 

 you some time in January. I rejoice to hear that you have 

 at last got possession of your house ; and indeed, was I ready 

 now, some time would be needful for you to settle a little 

 before any visitors came upon you. 



It is pleasant to hear that the spirit of natural enquiring sub- 

 sists still at Gibraltar. There is a muscle, perhaps your dactyl*, 

 that gets into the cliffs on the coasts of Sussex, and terebrates 

 the chalk in a most curious manner. You saw, I think, a 

 piece of chalk so bored at my house. I have received a most 

 violent complimenting letter from Mr. Pennant lately. He is 

 going to publish a second edition of e Brit. Zool.,' and is to do 

 wonders with the information extracted from my letters. I shall 

 take the opportunity of laying before him the more glaring 

 faults in the first edition*. Ice this morning. My grapes are 

 now delicate. Pray write while I am at Ringmer. Jack joins 

 in respects to my sister and yourself. Ring-ouzels in plenty 

 this last September. 



Yours affect. 



GIL. WHITE. 



LETTER YIII. 



Ringmer, Dec. 9, 1773. 

 DEAR BROTHER, 



JACK and I arrived here on Thursday, December 2nd, and 

 found that your letter of November llth had waited for us for 

 more than a fortnight. We were very agreeably surprized to 

 find Mrs. Snooke f so much recovered after so great a plunge. 

 She is cheerful and chatty, free from pain, and able to walk 



* [Pholas dactylus.T. B.] 



t [Mrs. Snooke, Gilbert White's cousin, the owner of Timothy the 

 tortoise. T. B.] 



c2 



