THE EEV. GILBERT WHITE. Vll 



Thomas undertaking to give a review of his work in the 

 "Gentleman's Magazine," in which periodical it appeared 

 in the year 1789. The following extract from it may 

 interest our readers : — 



" Contemplative persons see with regret the country more 

 and more deserted every day, as they know that every well- 

 regulated family of property, which quits a village to reside 

 in a town, injures the place that is forsaken in many material 

 circumstances. It is with pleasure, therefore, we observe, 

 that so rational an employment of leisure time as the study 

 of nature, promises to become popular ; since whatever 

 adds to the number of rural amusements, and consequently 

 counteracts the allurements of the metropohs, is, on this 

 consideration, of national importance. 



" Most of the local histories which have fallen into our 

 hands have been taken up with descriptions of the vestiges 

 of ancient art and industry, while natural observations have 

 been too much neglected. But we agree with Mr. White in 

 his idea of parochial history, which, he thinks, ought to con- 

 sist of natural productions and occurrences, as well as anti- 

 quities: for antiquities, when once surveyed, seldom recal 

 further attention, and are confined to one spot ; whereas 

 the pleasures of the naturalist continue through the year, 

 return with unabated attractions every spring, and may be 

 extended over the kingdom. 



" Mr. White is the gentleman who, some years ago favoured 

 the world with a monography of the British Hirundines, 

 published in the Philosophical Transactions, which we 

 reviewed in a former volume. It is now reprinted, and 

 the same sagacity of observation runs through the work 

 before us. 



' The sliding down of a hill into a valley, in the neighbour- 



