542 
NATURAL HISTORY 
of corresponding with me, I have written to him, and de- 
sired some particulars respecting this amazing tree. 
You seem to wonder that Mr. Willughby should not be 
aware that the Fern-owl is a summer bird of passage. But 
you must remember that those excellent men, Willughby 
and Ray, wrote when the ornithology of England, and in- 
deed the Natural History, was quite in its infancy. But 
their efforts were prodigious, and indeed they were the 
Fathers of that delightful study in this kingdom. I have 
thoughts of sending a paper to the R. S. respecting the 
fern-owl, and seem to think that I can advance some par- 
ticulars concerning that peculiar, migratory, nocturnal bird, 
that have never been noticed before. The rain of October 
last was great, but of November still more. The former 
month produced 6 in. 49 hund., but the latter upwards of 
8 in., 6| of which fell in one week, viz., from Nov. 13th to 
the 19th, both inclusive ! You will, I hope, pardon my 
neglect and write soon. 0, that I had known you forty 
years ago ! 
I remain, with great esteem. 
Your most humble servant, 
Gil. White. " 
My tortoise was very backward this year in preparing 
his hybernaculum, and did not retire till towards the be- 
ginning of December.^ The late great snow hardly reached 
us, and was gone at once. 
* In previous years this " old Sussex tortoise began first to dig the 
ground, in order to the forming its hybernaculum, on Nov. 1st" (Letter 
XIII. to Daines Barrington, p. 172), and " retired under ground about 
the 20th of November." (Letter XVII. to Daines Barrington, p. 190.) 
It was not until April, 1780, that White was able to announce to his 
friend that the animal had become his property. (Letter L. to Daines 
Barrington, p. 276.) 
This tortoise survived its master about a year, dying, it is believed, 
in the spring of 1794, after an existence in England of about fifty-four 
years, the last fourteen of which were spent at Selborne. Its shell, which 
is still preserved at Selborne, in the residence of the former owner, is 
considered by Mr. BeU to be that of Testudo marginata. See anica^ 
pp. 277-278.--EI). 
