Lettre de John White à Jean-François Séguier, 1771-11-11
Creators: name: White, John
name: White, John
Publisher: name: NAKALA - https://nakala.fr (Huma-Num - CNRS)
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/04ces3204
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2022
Subjects: Histoire naturelle (général)

description: [White]
 Gibraltar nov. 11. 1771.

Sir,

I owe you abundance of thanks for your kind attention to the enquiries with which I had taken the liberty to trouble Capt. Vignoles, as well as for your very obliging and communicative letter of the 12th of August. When I wrote last, I did not know how much I was also obliged to Dr Gouan for a manuscript copy of Artedi’s Ichtyologia which arrived here but lately by Mr Maxwell, a young officer of this garnison, who has spent some months in the south of France. He likewise thought me a letter from Captain Vignoles, dated 16 long ago as june last informing me that Dr Gouan had done me that favour. I should certainly have taken a much earlier opportunity of returning my best aknoledgements to that gentleman, il I had known of his friends intentions, but the letter which should have advised me of it came at the same time with the book. I must therefore now beg you to assure him of my most grateful acceptance of his favour; that I shall be particularly careful of it &amp; will return it safe to his hands, after having had a regular perusal of it. I am at the same time much indebted to you for an accurate account of several methods made use of for the preservation of fishes &amp; am happy to find that you concur with me in the opinion [fol. 9v] that keeping them in spirits is the most eligible method. My only motive for preserving fishes is to convey some good specimen to Mr Pennant (&amp; some other eminent naturalists in England, with whom I have a correspondance) of such as are peculiar to the Medierranean &amp; this climate. Whenever I can procure small subjects., I put them in spirits, but for those that are too bulky dimensions, I take a sletch, or outline, as exact as I can, adding a description of the peculiar character &amp; differences. Some of the most singular &amp; perhaps rare, species of fishes that I have lately remark are as follow e.g. Coryphaenoides rupestris mention’d by no other writer besides gunner, a Norway author, as Mister Pennant assures me. Zeus aper. Esox, Saurus, Rondel, Arni nimilis, Raii, 110.7. Gasterosteus duetor, Sparus dentale della Corona, of Brunnick, which has a remakable protuberance on the nucha. Seomber pelamis wich written seem to confound with the Seomber thynnus, excepting Brunnick; &amp; yet his description does not exactly correspond to our fisch of that sort. Trigla corpore verticillato, Brunn. p. 99. Trigla the same as in Engraved in Dr Gouan’s Genera piscium &amp; in somewhat like the Triga Lucerna. Esox Sphyrana, Sciaena umbra, Gadus luscus, Gadus pollachius. Two sorts; one with five annular spots, the other without those spots. I have also observed a great variety of Canuses, some of which I believe are new. The Canus caninatus of Brunnick &amp; other Canus Squilla, with very large eyes, antennae much longer than the body, the 3 last segments of the tail carinated &amp; the tips of the lobes of the tail-fin a thight purple colour. Also the Lausta Chalcidica, wich I suppose is rare. I am very sorry it has been so little in my power to comply with the request of M. le baron de Faugères in procuring some birds of the larger sorts. But I have very little success in my attempts &amp; several correspondents [fol. 10] in Barbary have hithero disappointed me in all my hopes. I have more than once seen the Vultur Monachus, &amp; once had an oppoturnity of shooting at one, but tho’ much wounded it escap’d to the top of the moutain. If those specimens wich I sent afford yourself or M. Faugères, or Dr Gouan, any amusement. I shall be extremly glad to send any others wich you would wish to see preserved in the same manner. Or if any other fishes that I mention happen not to have come under Doctor Gouans insepction. I beg to be honoured with his commands to send him any specimens that I can at any time procure. I am nowpreparing a meteorological journal of the winds, weather, quantity of rain, barometer, thermometer, &amp; c for this place; to which I shall oppose remarks of the same kind, taken in the South past of England, in order to give a comparative view of the difference of the two climates. To this I shall add a calendar of Flora &amp; fauna, after the manner of the Swedish naturalists, with a distinct account of our most remarkable animals in every class. I propose further to investigate the principal productions of the fossil kingdom, &amp; to furnish at least an introduction to a more compleat natural history of southern Europe. We have lately discovered a very extraordinary mass of bones strangely blended &amp; consolidated with a confus’d mixture of Lime-Stone stalactive &amp; other stony sibstances. It was found in a solid bed of rock hanging over the sea, about 70 feet above the level of the sea, &amp; at least 10 feet from the nearest outer surface. If a specimen of this petrefaction will be acceptable, I will send it with pleasure, as you were pleas’d to indulge me with your permission to write in my own langage, I make no apology on that account but I am, Sir, you most obliged &amp; faithful humble servant. 

White

[fol. 10v] I beg my best respects to Dr Gouan &amp; M. le baron de Faugères. Capitaine Vignoles as not yet inform’d me what was the price of the Philosophia Ichtyologica, but I suppose he will acquaint ùe on his arrival. If Dr Gouan has published his subsequent work on fishes, I shall be happy to see it, &amp; wille be sure to remit the cost to Mr Birkbeck, or any other personn as you shall please to ditut.

A Monsieur
Monsieur Séguier

A Nîmes

France

Ouvrage cité : Petri Artedi Sveci Meidici Ichyologia sive opera omnia de piscibus, seilicet bibliotheca Ichtyologica, Philosophia Ichtyologica… Leyde, 1738.
description: Source: [établissement de conservation] Nîmes, Bibliothèque Carré d'Art [cote] ms. 249, fol. 9-10