194 GILBEllT WHITE OF SELBOENE mo 



summer and autumn, about ten days in September excepted, 

 the failure of water is remarkable. The ponds are all 

 dry, and most of the wells iii the village, and among the 

 rest my own. As to Edmund White's tank, it has failed 

 for these seven weeks ; and he is obliged to fetch his water 

 from the south side of Nore hill. My column of rain on 

 the other side makes a very small figure, in respect to what 

 I used to send you. Mrs. J. White returns my sister thanks 

 for her late letter. I am disposing of her guinea among the 

 poor. Never were gratuities of that sort more acceptable 

 than now. 



We hear now from all quarters that nephew John the 

 Surgeon gets business very fast, and is allowed to be in 

 a way to become the first medical man in Salisbury. Little 

 Ben. thrives and grows very fast. 



Mrs. J. White joins in best respects and wishes. 



I am Y"^ affectionate brother, 

 Gil. White. 



In 'The Topographer for the year 1789,' etc. 

 vol. i. part i., April, appeared a review of Gilbert 

 White's book, from which the following extract is 

 taken : — 



"It is a part of my plan to notice all new publications, 

 that illustrate the topography of the kingdom. And the 

 first book upon this subject that it is our province to review 

 becomes a very pleasing task to us, for a more dehghtful, 

 or more original work than Mr. White's History of Selborne 

 has seldom been published. . . . Natural History has evi- 

 dently been the author's principal study, and, of that, 

 ornithology is evidently his favourite. The book is not 

 a compilation from former publications, but the result of 

 many years' attentive observations to nature itself, which 

 are told not only with the precision of a philosopher, but 



