New-York tribune., 1912-03-02
WHITE OF SELB0RNE
Tributes to the Parson
Naturalist.
London, February 81.

Has the name of Gilbert White ceased
10 he one 10 conjure with7 The manu-
script OF the Natural History Of Sell
borne was purchased from the Holt
White family for f315 In 1898 by an en-
terprislng dealer. who expected to dis
pose ~ Il az a handsome profit; but It
has remained on his hands after British
and American collectors have coldly eS-
amlned II. Letters and relics OF the
parson naturalist. who succeeded In In
teresting thousand Of observers and stu
dents In the phenomena OF rural Eng
land. have been equally unmarketable.
selborne. in Hampshire. is visited by
few American enthusiasts every YEAR.
but English saunterers find II inaccessi-
bile either from Alton or Liss. and not
many writer's have taken pains 70 de-
scribe II since Richard Jefferles and Mrs.
Maynell climbed the Hanger. and Lowell
wrote n poem under a hospitable roof.
and W. II. Hudson and Grant Allen
studied tho water plants ~ the sluggish
Bourne and the woodland birds. Even
when the Selborne Society desires 10
stimulate public interest In its work by
collecting editions OF the famous book
and water color drawings OF the natural
lists favorite haunts. II Is a poor little
exhibition that can scarcely I'll Burling-
ton Gardens for a few afternoons with
out the adventurous aid Of Morris dances
and Punch and Judy lectures.
The original manuscript, from which
the Natural History" was printed, is the
principal treasure OF this show. and 1t is
in excellent condition and practically
throughout in the clear painstaking
handwriting Of Gilbert White. who CON
densed and revised the letters written to
Pennant and harrington. A consdera-
BILE proportion OF the hundred or more
editions OF tho work Is also exhibited.
together with the Naturalist's Calendar.
letters written to his two principal cor
respondents. sermons and other docu-
ments. and copies Of his few books Of
reference. There is no portrait OF the
author himself since. either because he
was modest in habit or frugal in expendi-
lures. he would not allow any one TO
paint his likeness: but there are minia-
lures of his father by "a court painter
and also his brother and one of the little
niece, whose quaint comment on the
rocks and their cawing prayers was re-
peated in one of his chapters. Among tho
relics are Gilbert Whites orders as
deacon and priest, his license and dec
laration as a curate, two family Bibles,
the steel seal used in his correspondence
and the copy Of Flora Anglica." from
which 439 species were noted and iden-
titled In Selborne. There are also pho
tographs of the shell OF his pet tortoise,
Timothy. and a copy OF the first edition
OF the Natural History bound In the
skin OF his favorite spaniel The most
valuable relies are lent by his biographer.
Mr.. Rasleigh Holt-White, brother Of
the famous war correspondent who gave
TO The Tribune the first news OF Sedan.
The books and relics are well enough
so far as they go. but when there Is an
artificial effort to supplement them with
specimens illustrating the naturalists
observations and with objects in COM
mon use during his lifetime the results
are laughably feeble. A few stuffed
birds and nests with eggs make a beg
carly show. The woods and hollows
around Selborne contained large pro-
portion OF the birds Of the kingdom. and
Gilbert White knew them all, although
he clung tenaciously to the classic myth
about the Information Of swallows and
martins scant justice is done to his
knowledge of ornithology. and equally
meagre are the illustrations OF his close
observations Of harvest mice, common
bats, feas. mites, fossils, freestone and
other objects mentioned in his letters,
and an incongruous tumble OF curl
osity shop is produced by the display OF
articles I'm use during his generation,
such as costumes and smocks, fowling
pieces and horse bells, snuffers and spec
taces. razors and kettle-tilters, pipes and
taborS microscopes and coins Of the
period. The fame Of the parson hussar,
who rode over hill and dale and knew
and loved every flower. water plant and
bird OF his beloved Seborne and recorded
the movements Of his tortoise. as Lowell
humorousy suggested, as seriously as
though he were making up a court cal
endar is sacrificed when he is repre-
sented as r typical man Of science or a
philosopher In touch with the life Of his
time.
The photographs. maps. lantern slides