INTKODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. 
amoM others with Linnseus. Four letters from Lirmsens, 
were discovered a few years since, and were published in 
"Contributions to Ornithology" for 1849. They were addressed 
to him while resident at Gibraltar, and showed that his assist- 
ance was highly valued. In thanking him for some collections 
and memoranda, Linnaeus writes, " Accepi et dona ver^ aurea pro 
quibus omnibus ac singulis grates immortales reddo, reddamq'. 
dum vixero." He was the means also of procuring for Linnaeus, 
who had not before seen them, two birds, which his brother 
mentions in his letters, Hirundo {cypselus) melha and rupestris 
" quam antea non vidi "mihi antea ignota."* Another 
brother, Thomas, after retiring from business, devoted much of 
his time to literary pursuits and natural history, and for ten 
years contributed articles to the "Gentleman's Magazine," under 
the signature of T. H. W. A third, Benjamin White, was a 
publisher, and his name stands on the title-page of the first 
edition of " Selborne." There appears also to have been a fourth 
brother, Harry White.t 
Upon the death of our author Gilbert, the estate of Selborne 
was succeeded to by his brother Benjamin, the publisher. We are 
not aware of the circumstances under which this was afterwards 
sold, but some years since it became, and now is, the property 
of as worthy a successor as could have been chosen, whether we 
regard his abilities as a naturalist, or the respect in which he 
holds all that belonged to White. Professor Thomas Bell is 
now the possessor of White's property and mansion ; and we 
know that he has been careful to preserve, as far as possibly 
could be done, in its original state, everything that belonged to 
the place, or that could throw light upon his correspondence. 
We consider that it is Professor Bell alone who can properly 
edit a new Selborne. From his own knowledge of natural 
history, and particularly of British Zoology, he is eminently 
qualified to illustrate the writings, and verify the observations, 
while his residence upon that spot, now his home, gives him 
opportunities possessed by no other. We believe that this is 
even now in progress : we would not wish to hurry it, but long 
much to see it. >^ 
In writing thus, we have no desire to express ourselves dis- 
paragingly of previous editions ; on the contrary, we think they 
* Contributions to Ornithology, by Sir William Jardine, Bart>, 1849, pp. 2T 
81, 40. 
t Preface to Bennett's Edition, pp. xii. xiii. 
