SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS. 263 



hundred and thirty- two in all, viz., eleven of quadrupeds 

 and one hundred and twenty-one of birds.) 



In 1768 appeared the second edition of the above. This 

 was published in two volumes by Benjamin White (brother 

 of Gilbert White, the naturalist), who paid Pennant £100 

 for the right of publication. 



In 1770 an octavo volume was published of ninety-six 

 pages, " including a list of European Birds extra 

 Britannic," and CHI. Plates. This must rank as the 

 third edition of the " British Zoology " — it was incor- 

 porated in the fourth edition, published in 1776, four 

 volumes 4to and 8vo. This edition was printed at 

 Warrington for Benjamin White, and is sometimes found 

 with the plates coloured. A fifth edition, also in four 

 volumes, 4to and 8vo, appeared in 1812. 



It may here be mentioned that the folio edition of the 

 " British Zoology " had been translated into German and 

 Latin by " M. de Murre, of Nurenbergh," and published 

 in the same size as the original, but the colouring of the 

 plates is an improvement on that in the English edition. 



The summer of the year following the publication of 

 the " British Zoology," viz., August, 1767, saw the com- 

 mencement of the celebrated correspondence between 

 Gilbert White and Thomas Pennant ; White's share of 

 which (Pennant's is lost) was afterwards published in 

 his " Natural History of Selborne." This correspondence 

 continued down to November, 1780, and consisted in all 

 of forty-four letters, the first actually addressed to Pennant 

 by White being numbered ten in the series, the preceding 

 nine being added for the sake of uniformity when White 

 published his book in 1789. The correspondence was 

 commenced by White, who was prompted to address 

 his observations to Pennant both on account of the latter's 

 leading position as a naturalist, and also because " of 

 your repeated mention of me in some late letters to my 

 brother " (i.e., Benjamin White, Pennant's publisher). 

 There does not seem to have been any great friendship 

 between White and Pennant — Gilbert White appears to 



