1791 A PAPER UPON THE FERN-OWL 237 



on our rocks, as I know by sad experience the last time 

 I built. The indented oaken leaf which you gathered 

 between Rome and Naples was the quercus cerris of Linnaeus. 

 The yellow oak which you saw in Sussex escaped my notice. 



Richard Muliman Trench Chiswell, Esq., of Portland 

 Place, and M.P., tells a friend of mine in town that he 

 has an Mm in Essex for which he has been bid £100. It 

 is long enough, he says, to make a keel ungrafted for a 

 man-of-war of the largest dimensions. As he expressed 

 a desire of corresponding with me, I have written to him, 

 and desired some particulars respecting this amazing tree. 



You seem to wonder that Willughby should not be aware 

 that the Fern-owl is a summer bird of passage. But you 

 must remember that those excellent men, Willughby and 

 Ray wrote when the ornithology of England, and indeed the 

 Natural History, was quite in its infancy. But their efiforts 

 were prodigious ; and indeed they were the Fathers of that 

 delightful study in this kingdom. I have thoughts of send- 

 ing a paper to the R. S. respecting the fern-owl ; and seem 

 to think that I can advance some particulars concerning 

 that peculiar migratory, nocturnal bird, that have never 

 been noticed before. The rain of October last was great, 

 but of November still more. The former month produced 

 6 in. 49 hund., but the latter upwards of 8 in. : five and J of 

 which fell in one week, viz. from Nov. 13th to the 19th both 

 inclusive ! You will, I hope, pardon my neglect, and write 

 soon. 0, that I had known you forty years ago ! 



I remain, with great esteem, 



Your most humble servant, 



Gil. White. 



My tortoise was very backward this year in preparing 

 his Hybernaculum ; and did not retire till towards the 

 beginning of December. The late great snow hardly reached 

 us, and was gone at once. 



