122 The Natural History of Selborne 



that he compares them to these species merely from memory ; for I 

 have compared the birds themselves, and find they differ widely in 

 every circumstance of shape, size, and colour. However, as you 

 will have a specimen, I shall be glad to hear what your judgment is 

 in the matter. 1 



Whether my brother is forestalled in his nondescript or not, he 

 will have the credit of first discovering that they spend their winters 

 under the warm and sheltery shores of Gibraltar and Barbary. 



Scopoli's characters of his ordines and genera are clear, just, and 

 expressive, and much in the spirit of Linnaeus. These few remarks 

 are the result of my first perusal of Scopoli's " Annus Primus." 



The bane of our science is the comparing one animal to the other 

 by memory : for want of caution in this particular Scopoli falls into 

 errors : he is not so full with regard to the manners of his indigenous 

 birds as might be wished, as you justly observe : his Latin is easy, 

 elegant, and expressive, and very superior to Kramer's.* 



I am pleased to see that my description of the moose corresponds 

 so well with yours. I am, &c. 



* See his "Elenchus Vegetabilium et Animalium per Austriam Inferiorem, &c." 

 1 This was the Hirundo rupestris of Linnaeus, of which John White, Gilbert 



White's brother, who was chaplain at Gibraltar, had sent specimens from that 



place to the Swedish naturalist. ED. 



