PREFACE. V 



Mr White is principally known to the world by his 

 Natural History of Selborne, which, although purport- 

 ing to be but the description of the natural objects 

 of a single parish, is, nevertheless, a book of general 

 interest, embracing, in its details, varied and extensive 

 inquiries into the phenomena of Nature. It originated 

 in a series of letters, written to Thomas Pennant, Esq. 

 and the Honourable Daines Barrington, gentlemen of 

 high literary and scientific acquirements in their day, 

 the former, the well-known author of \}\Q British Zoology, 

 History of Quadrupeds, Tour in Scotland, and many 

 other esteemed works. 



The Natural History of Selborne was first published 

 in quarto, in 1789, along with what Mr White considered 

 as essential in parochial history, namely, its Antiquities. 

 This last, however, although of sufficient local interest, 

 can offer few attractions to the general reader. 



The originality and instructive details of his chief 

 work soon commanded general attention, and attracted 

 even continental notice ; and, we believe, it was trans- 

 lated into more than one foreign language. We know 

 that a translation of it was printed in Germany, so early 

 as 1792, and published at Berlin in that year. 



This work is written in an unconnected form, without 

 any attempt at scientific arrangement, with which, how- 

 ever, Mr White shews himself well acquainted ; and the 

 minute exactness of his facts the good taste displayed 

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