Dear Sir,

op When your agreeable but tardy letter of April 22:^nd arrived at this place, I was in London: but it was sent up after me. It gave me concern to hear you had been a good while indisposed; & satisfaction to find that you are recovered.

op The great honors that have befallen you at Drontheim call for my congratulations. You must now believe heartily in the accounts given by Pontopidon of the kraken, & sea-snake¹ if you should express any disrespect towards these two remarkable animals, I don’t know but they may remove you from the society² an unworthy Brother.

op The scarabæus fullo I know well, having seen it in collections: but have never been able to discover one wild in it’s natural state. Mr Banks told me he thought it might be found on the sea-coast.

op On the 13:^th of April I went to the sheep-down where the ring-ouzels have been observed for some time past to make their appearance at spring & fall: & was much pleased to find three birds about the usual spot. We shot a cock & an hen, & found they were plump & in high condition. The hen had but very small rudiments of eggs within her: which proves that they are late breeders: for those species of the Turdus genus that remain with us the whole year have fledged young before that time. In their crops was nothing very distinguishable; but somewhat that seemed like blades of vegetables nearly digested. In autumn they feed on haws & yew-berries. I dressed one of these birds & found it juicy & well-flavoured, It is remarkable that they make but a few days stay in their spring-visit; but rest near a fortnight as they go to the southward at Michaelmass. These birds from the observations of three spring & two autumns are most punctual in their visits; & exhibit a new migration unnoticed by the writers, who supposed they never were to be seen in any of the southern counties.

op One of my procurers lately brought me a new salicaria, which at first I suspected might have proved your willow-lark, Br:z: p: 241: but on a nicer examination answered much better to the description of that species which you shot at Revesby in the fens of Lincoln. My bird I describe thus. “It is a size less than the grasshopper-lark: the head, back & coverts of the wings of a dusky brown without those dark spots of the grasshopper-lark: over each eye is a whitish stroke: the chin& throat are white, & the under parts of a yellowish white: the rump is tawney; & the feathers of the tail sharp-pointed: the bill is dusky & sharp: & the legs are dusky; the hinder _^^this claws long & crooked.” The person that shot it says that it sung so like a reed-sparrow, that he took it for one; & that it sings in the night: but account must not pass without farther enquiry.

op For my part I suspect it is a second species of locustella hinted at by Dr: Derham in Ray's letters: see p: 108. He also procured me a grasshopper-lark, which answered most exactly to your description of one.

op The question that you put with regard to those genera of animals that are peculiar to America is too puzzling for me to answer; & yet so obvious as often to have struck me with wonder. If one looks into the writers on that subject little satisfaction is to be obtained. Ingenious men will readily advance plausible arguments to support whatever theory they shall chuse to maintain: but then the misfortune is, every one’s hypothesis is each as good as an other’s, since they are all founded on conjecture. Catcot is, I suppose, one of the latest writers of this sort, in whom may be seen all the arguments of those that have gone before. He, as I remember, stocks America from the western coast of Africa _^^{it is a difficulty}, & the south of Europe; & then breaks down the istmus that bridged-over the Atlantic. But this is making use of a violent piece of machinery: worthy of the interposition of a God! _ _ _ incredulous odi: such theories outrage all credibility.

op I return you thanks for y^r late letter of May 9^th: which I shall endeavour to answer hearafter. In the meanwhile hoping for the pleasure of hearing from you I remain

op Please to return Mr Barker's papaper

y^r obedient Servant

Gil: White

op

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Editorial notes

1. Pontoppidan argued for the existence of both of these, and the mermaid in his Natural History of Norway in 1752 & 1753
2. assuming a friendly reference to the Royal Society