ae ee ae 
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE.  -: 75 
the bank-martin of Linnzus fits this bird also,’ he in some 
measure invalidates all he has said; at least he shows at once 
that he compares them to these species merely from memory ; 
for I have compared the birds themselves, and find they differ 
widely in every circumstance of shape, size, and color. How- 
ever, as you will have a specimen, I shall be glad to hear what 
your judgment is in the matter. 
Whether my brother is forestalled in his nondescript or not, 
he will have the credit of first discovering that they spend their 
winters under the warm and sheltery shores of Gibraltar and 
Barbary. 
Scopoli’s characters of his ordines and genera are clear, just, 
and expressive, and much in the spirit of Linneus. These 
few remarks are the result of my first perusal of Scopoli’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 wished, as you justly 
observe: his Latin is easy, elegant, and expressive, and very 
superior to Kramer’s. 
I am pleased to see that my description of the moose 
corresponds so well with yours. 
LETTER XXXITI. 
SELBORNE, WVov. 26th, 1770. 
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 
