OF SELBORNE. 103 



Scopoli's characters of his ordines and genera are clear, 

 just, and expressive, and much in the spirit of Linnaeus. 

 These few remarks are the result of my first perusal of 

 Scopoli's ft Annus Primus." 



The bane of our science is the comparing one animal to 

 the other by memory : for want of caution in this particular 

 Scopoli falls into errors : he is not so full with regard to 

 the manners of his indigenous birds as might be wished, as 

 you justly observe : his Latin is easy, elegant, and ex- 

 pressive, and very superior to Kramer's. 1 



I am pleased to see that my description of the moose 

 corresponds so well with yours. 



LETTER XXXIII. 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQUIRE. 



SELBORNE, Nov 26, 1770. 



WAS much P leased to see > among the col- 

 lection of birds from Gibraltar, some of those 

 short- wingedEnglish summer birds of passage, 

 concerning whose departure we have made so 

 much inquiry. Now, if these birds are found 

 in Andalusia to migrate to and from Barbary, it may easily be 

 supposed that those that come to us may migrate back to 

 the continent, and spend their winters in some of the 

 warmer parts of Europe. This is certain, that many soft- 

 billed birds that come to Gibraltar appear there only in 

 spring and autumn, seeming to advance in pairs towards 

 the northward, for the sake of breeding during the summer 



cnly ; but merely as indicating that it does not quit the neighbourhood 

 of that place, like the other swallows, during the colder months. It is, 

 in fact, stationary throughout the year." M. Risso states it to be 

 stationary also in the more northern locality of Nice ; where all the 

 other swallows are, as in England, birds of passage. ED. 



1 See his " Elenchus vegotabilium et animalium per Austriam in- 

 feriorem," &c. G. W. 



