156 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1768 



Mr. Bell for not giving his friend the credit of the 

 discovery ; but he did attribute it to Gilbert White 

 in the second edition of his 'British Zoology.' 



At the commencement of 1768, the Garden 

 Kalendar, which up to this date had been written 

 on quarto letter-paper, changes its form ; being re- 

 placed by an oblong book. The Naturalist's Journal, 

 which was, its owner records therein, *' The gift of 

 the Honourable Mr. Barrington, the Inventer." 

 Benjamin White was the publisher. 



The pages of this book have printed headlines 

 over ruled spaces. Forms have, indeed, some ad- 

 vantages ; but they are certainly liable to too much 

 elaboration, being, like some other things, good 

 servants but bad masters. It is noticeable that at 

 first the compiler was scrupulous to keep exactly 

 within the boundaries of the dividing lines ; but 

 gradually, and to the distinct advantage of his | 

 records, he overstepped them, and gave the most 

 space to the matters that most engaged his atten- 

 tion ; and as years went on even used blank leaves 

 for any special matter. The records continued, as 

 in former years, to be of the most varied descrip- 

 tion. In addition to natural history observations (of 

 which those on insects become more frequent), con- 

 taining in the rough very many of the facts from 

 which he composed his book, he notes family events, 

 visits to and from his friends, his garden produce, 

 the appearance of his neighbours' crops and their 

 methods of cultivation. In short, the book con- 



