212 GILBEKT WHITE OF SELBOENE 1772 



which were never seen or heard of before in Europe. "What 

 raptures must they have felt to land upon countries where 

 everything was new to them ! "Whole forests of nondescript 

 trees clothed with the most beautiful flowers and foliage; 

 and these too inhabited by several curious species of birds, 

 equally strangers to them. I could be extravagant upon 

 this topic ; but it is time to pay our compliments to the 

 third apartment. This room contains an almost numberless 

 collection of animals; quadrupeds, birds, fish, amphibia, 

 reptiles, insects, and vermes, preserved in spirits, most of 

 them new and nondescript. Here I was lost in amazement ; 

 and cannot attempt particular description. Add to these 

 the choicest collection of drawings in natural history that 

 perhaps ever enriched any cabinet public or private; 987 

 plants drawn & coloured by Parkinson, and 1300 or 1400 

 more drawn, with each of them a flower, a leaf, and a 

 portion of the stalk coloured, by the same hand, besides a 

 number of other drawings, of animals, fish, birds, &c. And 

 what is more extraordinary still, all the new genera and 

 species, contained in this vast collection, are accurately 

 described, the descriptions fairly transcribed, and fit to be 

 put to the press. Thus I have endeavoured to give you an 

 imperfect sketch of what I saw in new Burlington Street, 

 and a very imperfect one it is." 



Dear Sam, — As I have promised for some time to write to 

 you without fulfilling my promise, I shall, by way of making 

 you some amends, send you the above-written extract from 

 my friend Mr. Sheffield's letter, instead of something of my 

 own composing. When you and I happen to meet, we will, 

 if you like, read Virgil's Georgics together, with Martin's 

 translation and notes; and shall, I trust, derive no small 

 satisfaction from that most beautiful of all human com- 

 positions. Ben White,* while with me, read them through 



* Eldest son of Gilbert White's brother Benjamin. 



