A gentleman sent me lately a fine specimen of the lanius minor
cinerascens cum macula in scapulis alba Raii; which is a bird that,
at the time of your publishing your two first volumes of British
Zoology, I find you had not seen. You have described it well from
Edwards's drawing.



Letter XXVI
To Thomas Pennant, Esquire

Selborne, December 8, 1769.

Dear Sir,

I was much gratified by your communicative letter on your return
from Scotland, where you spent, I find, some considerable time,
and gave yourself good room to examine the natural curiosities of
that extensive kingdom, both those of the islands, as well as those
of the highlands. The usual bane of such expeditions is hurry;
because men seldom allot themselves half the time they should do:
but, fixing on a day for their return, post from place to place, rather
as if they were on a journey that required dispatch, than as
philosophers investigating the works of nature. You must have
made, no doubt, many discoveries, and laid up a good fund of
materials for a future edition of the British Zoology; and will have
no reason to repent that you have bestowed so much pains on a part
of Great Britain that perhaps was never so well examined before.

It has always been matter of wonder to me that field-fares, which