124 *Th e Natural History of Selborne 



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. 1 



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 Linnasus. 

 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 othtT by memory : for want of caution in this particular 

 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.* 



I am pleased to see that my description of the moose 

 corresponds so well with yours. I am, &c. 



* See his " Elenchus Vegelabilium et Animalium per Austrian! Inferi- 

 orem, &c." 



1 This was the Hirundo nipestris of Linnreus, of which John White, 

 Gilbert White's brother, who was chaplain at Gibraltar, had sent speci- 

 mens from ihat place to the Swedish naturalist. En. 



