XL.] 
OF SELBORNE. 
Scopoli's characters of liis 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 Sco2)oli's " 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 wislied, as you justly observe : 
his Latin is easy, elegant, and expressive, and very superior to 
Kramer's " Elenchus Yegetabilium et Animalium per Austrian! 
Inferiorem." 
I am pleased to see tliat my description of the moose corre- 
sponds so well with yours. 
Selborne, Oct. 29, 1770. 
LETTEE XL 
TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 
I WAS much pleased, to see, among the collection of birds from 
Gibraltar, some of those short-winged English 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 sp)end 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 
months, and retiring in parties and broods towards the south 
at the decline of the year : so that the rock of Gibraltar is the 
great rendezvous and place of observation from whence they 
take their departure each way towards Europe or Africa. It is 
therefore no mean discovery, I think, to find that our small 
short-winged summer birds of passage are to be seen spring 
and autumn on the very skirts of Euro])e; it is a presumptive 
proof of their emigrations. 
I 2 
