294 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1775 



are condensers, and convert by their coldness the ascending 

 vapours into water ; but more of this when we meet. 



I am, yours afiy., 



Thos. White. 



To Samuel Barker, 



Selborne, Novr. 15, 1775. 



Dear Sam, — After some consideration I am in no manner 

 of doubt but that "murmur electricum"* is an error of the 

 press ; and that it should be murmur elasticum. For what in 

 the world has electricity to do with hop-poles ? why, if it 

 had, should the wind call it forth? Now as to an elastic 

 murmur or a deep humming sound occasioned by the vibra- 

 tion of the naked poles when agitated by the wind, I have 

 heard it 20 times in the months of March and April : and 

 moreover when I came to question my servant Thomas, he 

 readily recollected to have heard such a rushing in hop- 

 gardens in the spring-months ; and added, pertinently 

 enough, that such a murmur might be observed every spring 

 in gardens among kidney-bean sticks ; as I perfectly well 

 remember. Therefore read, meo periculo, elasticum^ instead 

 of electricum. The only thing that sticks with me is, that 

 since this murmur may be so easily and naturally accounted 

 for by elastic vibration, why should Linnaeus express any 

 wonder, or be in the least pother about so plain a matter ? 

 since it seems to me, that it is as obvious why a pole should 

 hum when put in brisk motion, as why the strings of an 

 ^olian-harp should, when brushed over by the wind, produce 

 those delicate chimings and unisons; that is by vibration. 

 It is most probable therefore that there are no hop-gardens 



* Vide Linnseus's * Species Plantarum,' second edition (1763), p. 1,457, 

 " Murmur electricum quasi remotissimum tonitru vento exagitante Humuli 

 palos quid?" From information kindly supplied by Mr. J. E. Harting, it 

 appears that no correction has been made in Linnaeus's own annotated copy, 

 now in the library of the Linnean Society, Burlington House. 



