EDITOR'S NOTE 



It was in 1771 that Gilbert White pro- 

 jected the book that was to make his own 

 name, and that of the quiet Hampshire 

 village of Selborne, famous for ever. He 

 wrote to Pennant in that year with fond 

 delight of his scheme to produce " a natural 

 history of my native parish, an anmis historico- 

 natiiralis, comprising a journal for a whole 

 year, and illustrated with large notes and 

 observations." But it was not until eighteen 

 years had elapsed — in 1789 — that the im- 

 mortal Natural History of Selborne was 

 published. 



Those were quiet, leisurely times, when 

 hurry and hustle were unknown, and the 

 kindly scholar of Selborne made his observa- 

 tions undisturbed by the doings of the great 

 world that lay beyond " the cool sequestered 

 vale " of his life. A sincere lover of Nature, 

 he was content to watch and admire the 

 doings of the inhabitants of copse and field, 

 making notes diligently of their ways and 

 habits. Truly a charming personality, this 

 Father of Nature Study. It was his great 

 hope that his book *' might induce more able 

 naturalists to v»Tite the history of various 

 districts." That the time would come when 

 every village child would be taught to study 

 and observe as he did was beyond his vision 

 — but such is undoubtedly the outcome of his 

 delightful work. 



Gilbert While was born at Selborne in 

 ! 720 ; at nmeteen he went to Oxford, where 

 he remained until 1752. He returned to his 

 native village in 1 755, and died there in 1793. 



