a French refugee, to take two or three views of this extraordinary tree on folio paper, with an intent to have them engraved. Of this artist I have seen some performances, and think him capable of doing justice to the subject. These views my brother proposes to have engraved, and will probably send a set to you, who deserve so well of all lovers of trees, as you have made them so much your study, and have taught men so much how to cultivate and improve them I have told you, I believe, before, that the great Holt Oak has long been known in these parts by the name of the Grindstone Oak, because an implement of that sort was in old days set up near it, while a great fall of timber was felled in its neighbourhood.

After a mild, wet winter we have experienced a very harsh backward spring with nothing but N. and N.E. winds. All the Hirundines except the sand-martins were very tardy, and do not seem even yet to make any advances towards breeding. As to the sand-martins they were seen playing in and out of their holes in a sand-cliff as early as April 9th. Hence I am confirmed in what I have long suspected, that they are the most early species. I did not write the letter in the "Gent. Mag." against the torpidity of swallows, nor would it be consistent with what I have sometimes asserted so to do. As to your recent

The letter here referred to is no doubt a letter which had then lately appeared in the "Gentleman's Magazine," dated Feb. 7th 1793, and probably the reason why Marsham attributed this to Gilbert White was that the writer had signed himself "A Parish Priest," and had stated that his house was "about thirty miles from the sea-coast of Hampshire." On the other hand it is evident that White disclaimed the authorship because the observations of the writer in regard to the supposed torpidity of Swallows were inconsistent with the views which he himself had expressed in his book. See Letters X. and XXXVIII., to Pennant (pp. 33, 115); and Letters IX. XII. and XVIII. to Daines Barrington (pp. 161, 171, 191).

Who then was the writer of this letter? Not Dr. Stephen Hales, for although at one time he resided about the same distance as White did from the sea-coast of Hampshire, he died in 1761, or more than thirty years before the letter in question was dated.

Apropos of letters in the "Gentleman's Magazine" attributed to

But

proof of their torpidity in Yorkshire, I long to see it. as much writing is sometimes irksome, cannot you call in occasionally some young person to be your amanuensis ?

There has been no such summer as this, so cold and so dry, I can roundly assert, since the year 1765. We have had no rain since the last week in April, and the two first days in May. Hence our grass is short, and our spring-corn languishes. Our wheat, which is not easily injured in strong ground by drought, looks well. The hop-planters begin to be solicitous about their plantations. Here I shall presume to correct (with all due deference) an expression of the great philosopher Dr. Derham. He says in his Physicotheology, "that all cold summers are wet:" whereas he should have said most.

Have you seen Arthur Young's "Example of France a Warning to England?" it is a spirited performance. The season with us is unhealthy.

With true esteem I remain,

Your obliged servant,

GIL. WHITE.

[At the head of this letter is the following note in the handwriting of Mr. Marsham :-" This worthy man died this month."

His death took place on the 26th of June, 1793, eleven days after the date of this letter.]

Gilbert White, it is perhaps not generally known that in the volume of that periodical for 1781 appeared a letter under the signature "V" (since proved to have been penned by White), in which an interesting account is given of the writer's college acquaintance at Oxford with the poet Collins.

In the Memoir prefixed to the Aldine edition of that poet's works (p. xxxi.), the editor has reprinted this letter entire, prefacing it with the following remark :

"It is here printed from the original manuscript, addressed For Mr. Urban. To the care of Mr. Newbery, at the corner of St. Paul's Churchyard, London.' The letter bears the 'Alton' postmark, and is from the pen of Collins's college acquaintance Gilbert White, the celebrated author of the 'Natural History of Selborne.'"-ED.