294 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



the publisher of the book, had frequently told his son that, though the figure 

 was not exactly a portrait, in general outline and appearance it was very 

 like Gilbert White. He had found the whole of the letters written to 

 White by John Mulso, his most intimate friend, and he hoped that before 

 long they would be rendered accessible to the public." 



Interesting as this information is to all disciples of Gilbert 

 White, we must beg to differ from Lord Stamford in regard to the 

 alleged existing portrait. Many persons suppose that the clergy- 

 man represented in the folding frontispiece to the first edition is 

 intended for White ; but this is not the case. Of the figures 

 there introduced the first is the Rev. Robert Yalden, vicar of 

 Newton Valence ; second, Mr. Etty, brother of the vicar of 

 Selborne ; third, Mrs. Yalden ; and fourth, Thomas Holt White, 

 Gilbert's brother. 



This information is derived from a footnote on page lviii. of 

 the Memoir of White prefixed to Bell's edition of the work, 

 and has the sanction of members of the White family, of whom 

 representatives were present at the recent celebrations at Sel- 

 borne, amongst others the Ven. Archdeacon White, who has 

 recently returned from Queensland, and the Rev. Henry Masters 

 White, of Oxford, both of them great-nephews of the famous 

 naturalist. 



Commenting upon this report, which appeared in the natural 

 history columns of * The Field' of the 1st July last, Lord Stam- 

 ford the following week, July 8th, wrote as follows : — 



" Permit me to offer a slight correction of the report of my speech at 

 Selborne which appears in your last issue. My informant as to the identity 

 of the figures represented in the frontispiece of the quarto edition of the 

 1 Selborne' is the Rev. John T. White, D.D., who is still alive, and who 

 was represented at the centenary celebration by his daughter. John White, 

 Dr. J. T. White's father, was actually concerned in the publication of the 

 quarto edition, and well remembered his uncle Gilbert. It was John White 

 who frequently told his son that the figures were intended to represent 

 Gilbert White, Mr. and Mrs. Yalden, and Thomas White. Mr. Bell's 

 identification of the figures appears to rest merely upon his own ipse dixit, 

 as he quotes no authority. The representatives of the White family present 

 at Selborne on June 24th were Mr. and Mrs. Holt White, with their eldest 

 son ; Mrs. Newport, daughter of Dr. J. T. White ; Rev. E. Field, Rev. Henry 

 Masters White, Ven. Archdeacon Gilbert White, Mr. William White, the 

 Misses Martelli, and the Earl of Stamford. — Stamford." 



