Dear Sir,

I wrote to you about the 25^th of July, & hope my letter reached you, as it was directed to S^r: R: Mostyn as usual. In that letter I gave you an account that I had sent the fishes of our streams up to Mazel to be engraved. You had in it also a pretty exact description of the Ambresbury loche taken from living specimens procured from thence; my sentiments with regard to the uses of toads near Hungerford; & my suspicions with regard to the water-eft.

Now I present you with a paper of remarks from Thomas Barker Esq of Lyndon hall in Rutland, a Gent: who marryed one of my Sisters¹. In it you will find, I think, a curious register kept by himself for 32 years, relative to the coming & departure of birds of passage. If you find any thing in it, or among the rest of the observation_^^{worthy of note} you are welcome, he says, to make what use you please of any of them.

I have now past all doubt made-out the three distinct species of the motacilla trochilus, which constantly & invariably use a note distinct from each other: but at the same time I am obliged to confess that I know nothing of y^r Willow-lark page 241. In my letter of April 18: I had told you peremptorily that I knew of y^r willow-lark, but had not seen it then. But when I came to procure the bird I meant, it proved in all respects a very motacilla trochilus; only that it is a size larger than the two others; & the yellow-green of the whole upper part of the body more vivid, & the belly of a clearer white. I have specimens of the three sorts now lying before me; & can discern that there are three gradations of of sizes; & that the least has black legs, & the other two flesh-coloured ones. The yellowest bird is considerably the largest; & has it’s quill-feathers, & secondary feathers tipped with white, which the others have not. This last haunts the tops of trees in high beechen-woods; & makes a grass-hopper-like noise now & then at short Intervals, shivering a little with it’s wings when it sings: & is no no doubt the Regulus non cristatus of Ray, which he says ----“cantat voce stridula locust攲. Yet this great Ornithologist never was aware that there were three species; tho’ Mr: Derham was.³

ⁱ

I am not certain that the Oedicnemus stays with us quite in the dead of the winter: but 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 30 & 40 in a flock towards winter. They are not usually brought to table: but a Gent: told me he dressed one last summer, which proved a juicy, well-flavoured bird. Understanding that a Quaker at Alton had got two of their eggs which he took in a bean-field as they lay in a hollow place on the raked ground: I went over to see them, & found them round & large, & of a yellow white blotched with red; & says I may have them when I chuse to send: so I shall preserve them for you.⁴

The behaviour of the antelope which you saw in town strongly corroborates my suspicions concerning the deer. I desire you will not fail to procure a buck’s head from S^r: R:M: & will have it dissected with care. I could have procured one with ease myself ‘til this year: but now my Neighbour S^r: Simeon Stuart has destroyed his stock, & turned his park into sheep walks.⁵

The first young swallows appeared on July the 4^th & the first martins began to congregate on the brush of the village maypole on July 23.

To me it is very plain, that the first Swallows & martins that congregate, are the birds of the first brood: & that thro’ an Inability of flying long at a time. For while these first hatchers ^{brood flyers} are spending so much time on a may-pole, the battlements of a tower, &c: the old ones _^^are busily employed in rearing a second brood.

The Swifts have never been seen with us since Aug: 5:^th & I conclude will come no more this season. I am always amazed that this species should constantly depart so many weeks before their congeners. It is worth our remarking, that tho’ the swift is at it’s arrival of a dark sootty colour; yet by being for 16 hours together almost constantly in the sun & air, it becomes before it’s departure much bleached, & as it were what the country people call piss-burnt, like an old weather-beaten brown wig: & yet it returns sootty again in the spring. Now if they go into warm regions during our winter; why do they not return sun-burnt, as they went off? It is a matter of curious enquiry to consider when swifts moult. Change their feathers here they certainly do not: & if they have as much occasion for their wings while absent, as while here, they would find no opportunity to spare several feathers at a time. I would not pretend to lay too much stress on these reflections: but certainly can’t refrain from observing, that they tend rather to make one suspect that they hide, rather than migrate---- at least for part of the long time they _^^are absent from us; & perhaps that at that juncture they moult.

P:S: When you have done with M^r: Barker’s remarks, please to return them.

Hoping for a long & communicative letter soon, I conclude with great esteem, y^r most obedient Servant,

Gil: White

---

---

Editorial notes

1. The sister White is refering to here is Anne White
2. translation: sings with the voice of the locust(grasshopper)
3. This is the evidence White was searching for to prove that he had three species of warbler; the Chiff Chaff (to which White gave the common name), the Willow Warbler, and the Wood Warbler (Ray's 'regulus non cristatus'). See Eyre, J., 2000 'Gilbert White's Birds' The Selborne Papers Volume 3, Gilbert White's House and the Oates Museum, Hampshire for further information
4. This phrase is repeated in Document 8, indicating that Document 8 is a manuscript copy of this document produced as part of the work towards publication, rather than an true letter>
5. This is also duplicated in Document 8