Dear Sir,

I received y^r: obliging & communicative letter of June the 28:^th while I was on a visit at a Gentleman’s houses, where I had neither nooks to turn to, not leisure to sit:down to return you an answer to many queries, which I wanted to resolve in the best manner that I am able. ⁱ

A person by my order searched our Brooks: but could find no such fish as the Gasterosteus pungitius: But he found the Gasterosteus aculeatus in plenty. As the coach goes every day from Alton to London, I think that fish^es sent in wet moss by that conveyance will arrive very fresh in town: therefore I intend to procure the fish of our streams, & will send them up to Mr Mazel by means of my Brother¹, who will order H Him to engrave them as you desire.

Finding while I was on my visit that I was within a reasonable distance of Ambresbury, I sent a Servant over to that town & procured several living specimens of loches, which he brought safe & brisk in a glass decanter: They are taken fr in the gullies that are cut for the watering of the meadows. From these fishes (which measured from two to four inches in length) I took the following description. “The loche in it’s whole aspect has a pellucid appearance: it’s back is mottled with irregular collections of small black dots, not reaching much below the linea lateralis; as are the back, & tail-fins: a black line runs from each eye down to it’s noses: it’s belly is of a silvery white: the upper jaw projects beyond the lower, & is surrounded with six feelers, three on each side; it’s pectoral fins are large; it’s ventral considerably smaller: the fin behind it’s anus small: it’s dorsal-fin large consisting of eight spines: its tail, where it joins to the tail-fin, remarkably broad, so as to be characteristic of this genus: the tail-fin is broad & square at the end. From the breadth & strength of the tail it appears to be an active, vigorous fish.”

In my visit I was not very far from Hungerford, & did not forget to make some enquiries concerning the wonderful method of curing cancers by means of toads. Several intelligent persons both clergy & gentry do, I find, give a good_^^{some story} deal of credit to what what was asserted in the papers: & I myself dined in company with a Clergyman who seemed to be perwaded that what is related is matter of fact But when I came to attend to his account, I thought I discerned circumstances which did not a little invalidate the woman’s account of the manner in which she came by her skill. She says of herself, that labouring under a virulent cancer, she went to some church where there was a vast croud: on going into a pew she was accosted by a strange Clergy-man, who after expressing compassion for her situation, told her that if she would make such an application of living toads as is mentioned, she would be well. Now is it likely that this unknown Gent: should express so much tenderness for this single sufferer, I not feel any for the many thousands that daily languish under this terrible disorder? Would he not by some method of publication or other have found means to have acquainted the world with this invaluable nostrum? In short this woman, (as it appears to me) having set up for a curer of cancers, finds it expedient to amuse the country with this dark & mysterious account of matters^manner.

I am not quite certain that the Oedicnemus ^{stone curlew}, stays with us quite in the dead of the winter. I have often seen them late in the autumn & early in the spring. It is probable they may depart for a time: for they have been seen in this neighbourhood & in Sussex near Chichester _^^{nay 100} 30 & 40 in a flock towards winter. They are not usually brought to table: but a Gent: told me he dressed one last summer, & it proved a juicy, well-flavoured bird. I have been endeavouring also the summer to procure you some of their eggs, but without any success.

First young swallows appeared on July the 4:^th Martins (perhaps the new-flown young ones) began to congregate on the top of our maypole July 23.)

I have not seen the great species of bat this summer.

The behaviour of the^x Antelope_^^{In town, which applied it’s eyes to objects of smell2} which you saw in town strongly corroborates my suspicions with regard to deer. I desire you will not fail to procure a buck’s head from S^r Rgend Mor y’s³ & will have it dissected with care. I could have procured one with eases ‘til this year: but now my neighbour Sr Rimegh Mount has destroyed his stock, & turned his park into sheep-walks.

ⁱⁱ

(I congratulate you on the discovery of y^rnew Salicaria; & the rather because it seems to be the species that you have made earnest enquiry after. It will be an agreeable acquisition to y^rsecond edition of the British zoology. I wish you Joy also of y^rnew acquaintance Mr Milliband it is better to have a Brother Student at 50 miles distance than at 500: because you will find means of getting together sometimes. My heart & inclinations will be with you when you climb the rocks of Snowdon, & traverse the shores of Anglesea & Caernarvon; but there are insufferable difficulties between us. That romantic & Alp-like country must afford much matter of entertainment for a Naturalist!

As an Englishman I rejoice to year you that you beat the Sweed in number of animals: I hope you will proceed in y^rdiscoveries ‘til you have driven him out of the field.

A man brings me word just this minute that a ^person Quaker at Alton has got a couple of eggs of the Oedicnemus, which he took this summer in a bean-field: they are large & round, & very much of the shape & colour of those of the Falco milvus, the kite.

/This morning, in a basket which I sent my Brother⁴, I packed a little earthen pot full of wet moss, & in it some sticklebacks male & female, the females big with spawn; some lamprey, some bull’s heads: but I could procure no minows. This basket will be in Fleetstreet by eight this evening: so I hope Mazel will have them fair & fresh tomorrow morning. I gave some directions in a letter to what particulars the engraver should be attentive.

The water-eft has not, that I can discern, the least token of any gills: it _^^{for want of which it} is continually rising to the surface of the water to take in fresh air. I opened a big-bellyed one & fund it full of spawn. Not that this circumstance at all invalidates the assertion that they are larvae.

The larvæ of Insects are full of eggs, which they lay as soon as they are changed into their last state The water-eft is continually climbing over the vessel where you keep it in water, & wandering away: & people every summer see numbers crawling out of the lakes where they are hatched, up the dry banks. Upon the whole I am inclined to suspect that they are larvæ.

I am with the greatest respect &c: &c

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Editorial notes

1. It is not clear if White means Benjamin or Thomas here, although Benjamin could be assumed from the context.
2. this appears to be taken directly from letter 9.
3. This is heavily obscured. It might be R Mostyn refered to in Document 9
4. as this refers to Fleet Street this is Bemjamin White