NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 41 



the walks, many times in the day ; l and seemed disposed 

 to breed in my outlet ; 2 but were frighted and persecuted 

 by idle boys, who would never let them be at rest. 



Three gross-beaks {loxia coccothraustes)* appeared some 

 years ago in my fields, in the winter ; one of which I shot : 

 since that, now and then one is occasionally seen in the 

 same dead season. 



A crossbill (loxia curvirostra) 4 was killed last year in this 

 neighbourhood. 



Our streams, which are small, and rise only at the end 

 of the village, yield nothing but the buWs head or miller's 

 thumb (gobius fluviatilis capitatus)? the trout (trutia fluviatilis)? 

 the eel (anguilla), 1 the lampern (lampcetra parva et fluviatilis)? 

 and the stickle-back (pisciculus aculeatus)? 



1 In Budapest, in 1891, the late John Xantus showed me Hoopoes frequenting 

 his garden in exactly the same manner as here described by Gilbert White. Bell 

 mentions several more instances of the occurrence of the Hoopoe near Selborne. 

 [R. B. S.] 



2 As appears from the original letter to Pennant, Gilbert White at first believed 

 that this pair of Hoopoes actually nested in his meadow, "but," he adds, " before 

 I knew anything of the matter, the nest and eggs (neither of which I saw) were 

 taken by some idle boys." The nest, as reported to the author, could not have 

 been that of the Hoopoes, and the event was therefore very properly omitted in 

 his published work. I only allude to the circumstance here to show the scrupu- 

 lous punctiliousness of Gilbert White's mature publication. [R. B. S.] 



3 The Hawfinch (Coccothrattstes coccothraustes) was apparently a rare bird in 

 Hampshire in Gilbert White's time, but of recent years the range of the species 

 in England has been found to be much more extensive than was formerly 

 supposed, and it is now known to nest regularly in most of the southern 

 counties. Professor Bell mentions several specimens from Selborne that came 

 under his notice, and states that it had repeatedly bred in Captain Chawner's 

 park at Newton Valence. (Bell's ed., vol. i. p. 32 note.) [R. B. S.] 



4 Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) were observed in some numbers in the 

 southern counties in 1898. Dr. F. D. Godman informs me that he saw several 

 in his woods at Horsham, and believes that they had nested there. [R. B. S.] 



5 Cottusgobio, Linn. [R. B. S.] 6 Salmofario, Linn. [R. B. S.] 



7 Anguilla vulgaris. [R. B. S.] 



8 Ammoccetes branchialis. Professor Bell remarks : " This fish is rarely found ; 

 I do not remember to have seen it more than once or twice. It lives entirely 

 in the mud ; and an intelligent person residing near Oakhanger Pond, the 

 most likely place for its occurrence, is not acquainted with it." (Bell's ed., vol. i. 

 p. 32 note.} [R. B. S.] 



9 " Of the six species of stickle-back described by Yarrell as British, the only 

 one which I am aware of as inhabiting the stream at Selborne is the common 

 three-spined Gasterosteus trachums." (Bell's ed., vol. i. p. 32 note.) [R. B. S.] 



F 



