WINTER IN WEST DOWNLAND 285 



hawk-like eyes, extremely active in his habits, a field 

 naturalist in a way, devoted to sport, and an excellent 

 judge of the points of a horse or dog. He also had 

 some acquaintance with books, and took an interest 

 in most things ; above all things he was interested in 

 his own beloved South Downs, and he maintained 

 that for a man who preferred an outdoor life, and 

 the freedom of an unenclosed country and of great 

 hnis, there was no spot on the globe to compare 

 with it. 



In the course of a conversation I had with him 

 after we had known each other a few days and were 

 becoming fairly intimate, he spoke two or three times 

 of his rides to Ringmer. At length, with a laugh, 

 I said that he reminded me of Gilbert White, who, 

 although living far away in Hampshire, was also 

 accustomed to ride to Ringmer. As he did not 

 appear to understand my remark, I was compelled 

 to explain that I was speaking of the Rev. Gilbert 

 White, author of the " Natural History of Selborne. " 

 Alas ! I only made matters worse, since after ran- 

 sacking his brain for some moments he confessed 

 that he had never heard the name of Gilbert White 

 nor of the village of Selborne. 



I was reminded of an experience I had on a 

 steamboat in the Solent. It was many years ago, 

 when I was a stranger in a strange land. I got 

 into conversation with a gentleman on the deck, 

 who lived on the island, and when near Cowes he 



