ADVERTISEMENT 



TO THE 8VO EDITION, PUBLISHED IN l8O2, EDITED BY JOHN 

 WHITE, THE BROTHER OF THE AUTHOR 



" The favorable reception with which the works on natural 

 history of my late respected relation, the Rev. Gilbert White 

 of Selborne, have been honored by the persons best qualified 

 to judge of their merit, has induced me to present them to 

 the public in a collected and commodious form, free from the 

 encumbrance of any extraneous matter. His largest work, 

 entitled 'The Natural History of Selborne/ has probably 

 been supposed by many to be formed upon a more local and 

 confined plan than it really is. In fact, the greater part 

 of the observations are applicable to all that portion of the 

 island in which he resided, and were indeed made in various 

 places. Almost the only matter absolutely local is the account 

 of the antiquities of the village of Selborne ; and this seemed 

 to stand so much apart, that, however well calculated to gratify 

 the lovers of topographical studies, it was thought that its 

 entire omission would be considered no loss to the work, con- 

 sidered as a publication on natural history. Its place is oc- 

 cupied by the 'Naturalists' Calendar and Miscellaneous 

 Observations/ which appeared in a separate volume since the 

 author's decease, extracted from his papers by Dr. Aitkin. 

 That gentleman has also made some farther selections from 

 the papers, which are now all in my possession ; and has 

 undertaken the revision and arrangement of the whole. A 

 very valuable addition to the calendar and observations has 

 been obtained from the kindness of William Markwick, Esq., 

 F.L.S.,well known as an accurate observer of nature, whose 

 parallel calendar, kept in the county of Sussex, is given upon 

 the opposite columns. 



"The Editor flatters himself that the publication in its 

 present form will prove an acceptable addition to the library 

 of the naturalist ; and will in particular be useful in inspiring 

 young persons, and those who pass their time in retirement, 

 with a taste for the very pleasing branch of knowledge on 

 which it treats. J. W. 



"FLEET STREET, 1802." 



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