[LETTER XXIXa 1 



TO THE SAME 



SELBORNE,y/y 12tA, I77O. 



DEAR SIR, A journey to London, & an other since, 

 from whence I am but just returned, have prevented my 

 paying that attention to your last letter, that I could have 

 wished. 



If you knew how little I had to communicate to you 

 with respect to specimens from Gibraltar 'til I went last to 

 town, you would not think I had neglected you : for 'til 

 that time I had only received two muscicaptz, & three 

 insects. 2 One of the birds proves, I find, to be Edwards's 

 grey redstart 3 the other, which has a white forehead, a 

 tawny occiput & scapulars, black wings, a white rump, & 

 black & white tail, black throat & cheeks, a tawny breast 

 & whitish belly ... I cannot at present ascertain. 4 



When I came to town 1 found a box containing several 

 birds ; the most curious of which are 



Merops apiaster, Stays all the summer. 



Loxia coccothraust, Stays autumn and winter. 



Motacilla stapazina, Comes in autumn. 



1 I have reproduced in the present edition the letters addressed to Pennant 

 by Gilbert White on the subject of the Gibraltar birds sent by his brother John. 

 [R. B. S.] 



2 The three insects were a panorpa eoa; rare and peculiar in it's hind wings ! 

 a large fine vespa, the crabroni congener in Italia capta Raij : vid. Hist. Insect, p. 

 250 ; and a large ichneumon. [G. W.] 



3 The Black Redstart (Rutidlla titys) of modern authors. [R. B. S.] 



4 This certainly must be Saxicola stapazina> but what can be the Motacilla 



stapazina of the succeeding list ? [R. B. S.] 



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