142 
NATURE NOTES 
well be proud. It is impossible here even to mention a tithe of 
the cases with which it is concerned. The Brockwell Park 
extension, the Ashdown Forest light railway, the Stonehenge 
enclosure, the view from Richmond Hill, the recovery of 
Hainault Forest — these are but a few of the directions in 
which the Society has been, and is, active. The Report is 
illustrated by five instructive plates, to some of which we hope 
to refer on a future occasion. 
Spurious Sports. — We are glad to learn that the Bishop 
of Hereford’s Bill is to be introduced in the House of Commons, 
where we trust it may meet with more consideration than it did 
at the hands of our hereditary legislators. 
Bird Protection.— Just as we go to press we learn that the 
Royal assent has been given to the short Act of Parliament 
which provides that “ Where any person is convicted of an 
offence against the Wild Birds’ Protection Acts, 1880 to 1896, 
the Court may, in addition to any penalty that may therein be 
imposed, order any wild bird, or wild bird’s egg, in respect of 
which the offence has been committed, to be forfeited and dis- 
posed of as the Court shall think fit.” 
A PORTRAIT OF GILBERT WHITE. 
S the question of a portrait of Gilbert White has been 
raised in Nature Notes for July, perhaps I may be 
allowed to state briefly what is really known upon 
this point. 
Many years ago, during the lifetime of Gilbert White’s 
nephew Francis, and (1 believe) of his nephew John White, to 
be presently mentioned, an application was made by Oriel 
College to various members of the White family to know if there 
was any portrait, or even sketch of any kind, from which a picture 
of the naturalist could be painted for hanging in their Hall ; the 
answer was, however, that there was nothing of the sort in 
existence. 
As regards the north-east folding view of Selborne in the 
quarto editions of the “ Selborne,” I personally never heard of 
any names attached to the little figures therein depicted, until 
Mr. Bell published his edition, in which he gives, curiously 
enough, an account of them twice over [cf. vol. i., p. Iviii., note, 
and vol. ii., p. 130, note). His authority for this was, I think, 
certainly either the Rev. Francis White, who resided during the 
latter part of his life near Andover, or the Rev. Edmund White, 
who was Vicar of Newton Valence; but more probably the 
former of these gentlemen, who is mentioned five or six lines 
previous to the passage in vol. i. as describing White’s personal 
