60 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



I can show you some good specimens of my new mice. 

 Linnceus perhaps would call the species tnus minimus. 



[When y r sheets containing a list of the British birds, 

 &c., come out, you will gratify me much by y r sending me 

 one. I am glad to hear you intend to continue y r publica- 

 tions in the natural way. My Relation at Gibraltar 1 had 

 never at all applyed to these kinds of studies, & has no 

 books of that sort : else he might be helpful to you with 

 regard to the Birds of Barbary and Andalucia. Pray give 

 my humble respects to M r - Banks, & tell him I shall not 

 forget him next month with regard to the Lathraa squam- 

 maria. If he will do me the Honour to come & see me, 

 he will soon find how many curious plants I am acquainted 

 with in my own Country. I request also that you will be 

 pleased to pay my compliments & thanks to M r - Barrington 

 for the agreeable present of his Journal, which I am filling 

 up day by day. Buntings I saw in plenty last week. 

 Requesting that you will continue to honour me with the 

 favour of y r correspondence, 



I conclude, Sir, 

 Y r most obedient servant 

 GIL : WHITE.] 



of concealment which these birds exhibit viz., of throwing themselves flat on the 

 ground and lying quite still with their necks stretched out, at the approach of the 

 slightest cause of alarm. Even the tiny nestlings perform this trick, and in fallow 

 and stony ground they are perfectly indistinguishable ; but it is laughable to see 

 an old bird stretching himself out, and fancying himself concealed, in the middle of 

 a tennis-lawn, as my captive pets used to do, their tawny plumage rendering them 

 conspicuous objects at a distance of twenty yards. So strong is the force of instinct ! 

 A Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) will stand in front of a green bush in the Zoological 

 Gardens, and make himself thin like a dead bulrush, with his neck stiffened out, 

 and then gradually turn his rush-like neck to the spectators, moving it as the 

 latter walk to one side or the other. In a reed-bed this method of concealment 

 would be effectual, but with a dark green back -ground showing up the light plumage 

 of the bird, the device is of no avail, and yet the instinct of concealment remains 

 unabated. [R. B. S.] 



1 His brother John, who was chaplain there. [R. B. S.] 



