x INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. 



among others with Linnseus. Four letters from Linnaeus, 

 were discovered a few years since, and were published in 

 u Contributions to Ornithology" for 1849. They were addressed 

 to him while resident at Gibraltar, and showed that his assist- 

 ance was highly valued. In thanking him for some collections 

 and memoranda, Linnaeus writes, " Accepi et dona verei aurea pro 

 quibus omnibus ac singulis grates immortales reddo, reddamq. 

 dum vixero." He was the means also of procuring for Linnaeus, 

 who had not before seen them, two birds, which his brother 

 mentions in his letters, Hirundo (cypselus) melba and rupestris 

 " quam antea non vidi ;" "mihi antea ignota."* Another 

 brother, Thomas, after retiring from business, devoted much of 

 his time to literary pursuits and natural history, and for ten 

 years contributed articles to the "Gentleman's Magazine," under 

 the signature of T. H. W. A third, Benjamin White, was a 

 publisher, and his name stands on the title-page of the first 

 edition of " Selborne." There appears also to have been a fourth 

 brother, Hairy White.f 



Upon the death of our author Gilbert, the estate of Selborne 

 was succeeded to by his brother Benjamin, the publisher. We are 

 not aware of the circumstances under which this was afterwards 

 sold, but some years since it became, and now is, the property 

 of as worthy a successor as could have been chosen, whether we 

 regard his abilities as a naturalist, or the respect in which he 

 holds all that belonged to White. Professor Thomas Bell is 

 now the possessor of White's property and mansion ; and we 

 know that he has been careful to preserve, as far as possibly 

 could be done, in its original state, everything that belonged to 

 the place, or that could throw light upon his correspondence. 

 We consider that it is Professor Bell alone who can properly 

 edit a new Selborne. From his own knowledge of natural 

 history, and particularly of British Zoology, he is eminently 

 qualified to illustrate the writings, and verify the observations, 

 while his residence upon that spot, now his home, gives him 

 opportunities possessed by no other. We believe that this is 

 even now in progress : we would not wish to hurry it, but long 

 much to see it. 



In writing thus, we have no desire to express ourselves dis- 

 paragingly of previous editions ; on the contrary, we think they 



* Contributions to Ornithology, by Sir William Jar dine, Bart., 1849, pp. 2T 

 f, Preface to Bennett's Edition, pp. xii. xiiL 



