07 



CORRESPONDENCE 



OF THE 



REV. JOHN WHITE AND LINNiEUS. 



LETTER I. 



FROM THE REV. JOHN WHITE TO LINNAEUS. 



Gibraltar, June 30, 1771. 



Sir, 

 Be pleased to permit an humble admirer of your works, and 

 a lover of that study which your labours have rendered almost 

 universal throughout Europe, to present you with a small 

 specimen of his attempts to collect and class the animal pro- 

 ductions of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. Having 

 resided some years in this place, and been lately furnished 

 with your admirable writings from my friends in England, 

 and also with those of Ray, Scopoli, Geoffroy, Buffon, and 

 others, I thought it might be some satisfaction to all real lovers 

 of Natural Knowledge to see the several productions of this cli- 

 mate examined and displayed with some more accuracy than 

 has yet been done by travellers, who generally treat on Natural 

 History in a superficial way, and leave it the most defective 

 part of their works. My researches have hitherto been con- 

 fined to this fortress and its environs, as the duties of my 

 function require my constant residence in the place. I hope 

 to be able ere long to produce a tolerable ' Fauna Calpensis,' as 

 an introductory essay, and, if it please God to grant me health 

 and opportunity, to extend my plan by degrees. Your can- 

 dour and humanity will pardon the errors and defects of an 

 unexperienced adventurer, in consideration of his not uncom- 



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