74 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE 



Silpha oblongata est. 

 Scarabceus sabulosus est. 



Hister ater, nitidus, elytris striis quinq. dimidiatis ob- 

 literatisj novus. 



Upsalise, 1772, d. 7 Augusti. 



LETTER IV. 



from the rev. john white to linn.eus. 



Sir, 

 Your first letter bearing the date 20th January met with 

 some delay in England, and did not reach my hands till the 

 first day of May ; and on the 17th of the same month, when I 

 sent a small collection of birds and insects, I was prevented 

 from writing to you so long a letter as I intended by the 

 sudden departure of the ship. The week following I was 

 called away in haste from Gibraltar to take possession of pre- 

 ferment in England, and have, since that time, been too con- 

 stantly engaged in my private affairs to afford that attention 

 to my studies in Natural History which I would otherwise 

 wish to do. Some time in December last I received your 

 second favour in London, and was desirous of sending you 

 some of my specimens of the most rare Calpensian animals ; 

 but I was informed that the frost had then shut up all navi- 

 gation to the Baltic Sea, for the winter season. As soon as the 

 communication opens again I will endeavour to send such as 

 I think best worthy of your acceptance. I now propose to 

 revise and correct my observations in Natural History made 

 at Gibraltar, and to reduce the fauna of that district into a 

 regular systematic form. Although I lived at that place 

 sixteen years in the whole, yet, to my misfortune, it was only 

 during the last four years that I became acquainted with this 

 science, and with your admirable works. However, if I have 

 leisure to model my materials, imperfect as they are, into any 

 tolerable form, I shall some day beg leave to submit a copy of 

 them to your inspection. Give me leave in the meantime to 



