192 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBOENE 1771 



At this time a letter was addressed to Pennant, 

 which for reasons before assigned was not included 

 amongst those published by its writer. 



To T. Pennant. ^ ,^ t ^^,, ._^_. 



Selborne, Jan. 12th, 1771. 



Dear Sir, — This day my box with the whole of my 

 curiosities, sets out by the waggon on its way to London, 

 from whence it will be forwarded by my Brother to Chester. 



You will be so kind as to examine the contents, and to 

 order your artist to draw such as are worthy of your notice ; 

 and to favour me with your opinion concerning the most 

 rare, and particularly the fishes, which need not be returned. 



The reason that my Brother sent only the head and the 

 feet of the vulture was because he never had any other 

 part. The bird was found dead and floating in the sea; 

 an accident it seems not very uncommon : some fishermen 

 picked it up, and flayed it, eat the carcase, and threw away 

 the skin, and gave him the head and feet. But as the 

 Governor has got a live bird of this sort, my Brother will 

 take care to describe that minutely. 



Please to be particular about the partridges. My last 

 cargo of birds returned very safe from your house. 



I thank you for the Portugal apiaster, which differs 

 somewhat from the Andalusian. 



It is no small discovery, I think, to find that our small 

 short- winged summer birds of passage are to be seen spring 

 and autumn on the very skirts of Europe : it is a very 

 strong presumptive proof of their migrations. 



Your proof-sheet* meets with my approbation. I always 

 was of opinion that the stile should be in some measure 

 adapted to the length of the composition, or the subject 

 in all cases; and therefore long flowing sentences can't be 

 suitable to short descriptions in a work that professes to be 

 a synopsis. 

 * No doubt of the 'Synopsis of Quadrupeds,* published in 1771. — A. N. 



