katcre's holidat, 227 



grain, which was being stowed away in lavish profusion every where. Men, 

 women, children, — all were occupied in the goodly work. We fell in, too, 

 with such a nice party of " cricketers," on a certain green sward ! How the 

 lads and lasses dealt out their blows on the devoted balls ! Whizz ! they 

 went; and how the young ladies and their mammas enjoyed the sport ! Had 

 time permitted, we too should have had an " innings." Those arch faces, 

 prettily shaded by "Fairy Ring" hats, (umbrageous in their coolness,) told 

 us we were more than welcome How delightfully eloquent is the human 

 eye, — when pleased ! The human heart too, — how soft when properly played 

 upon ! 



This, — and veiy much more. But I must come to a close. It will be 

 gathered from what I have said, that our good mother. Nature, had finished 

 all she had to do. She was now complacently rejoicing in the Avork of her 

 delicate hands. All was hushed, quiet, peaceable. The birds, not yet in full 

 livery, (the young robins excepted, which were singing merrily throughout 

 the day,) were concealed in the thickets. Feeling themselves unclean, they 

 had sought retirement. Whilst I now write, they are abroad again, — their 

 beauty matchless. 



Such, in faint outline, were the joys of this memorable day. I have re- 

 corded them, in the hope of bringing about more of these friendly reunions. 

 They do the heart good. Birds of a feather should flock together; for a 

 Companion, properly so called, is a rarity, and " when found " should be 

 " made a note of." 



The follies so fondly hugged by the World, and which constitute all their 

 so-called happiness, are unworthy of a sensible man. I only wish every body 

 detested them as much as I do. " Amen !" adds my companion for the day. 

 Never did two people sympathise more sweetly, or fraternise more cordially. 

 Long may our (un) common friend, John Mc Intosh, live; and long may we 

 live to enjoy his company ! 



New Road, Hammersmith, Sept. 17th. 



THE VARIETY OF THE HAWK FIGURED IN " THE NATURALIST," 

 FOR SEPTEMBER. 



BY THE EEVEREND F. 0. MORRIS. 



Dr. Hobson, of Leeds, has been so obliging as to forward to me a coloured 

 engraving of this bird. I have not, mj^self, the shadow of a doubt that it is 

 a variety of the Sparrow-Hawk. The curiosity of the instance is, I think, 

 that it is at one and the same time a hybrid (probably) and a (partial) albino. 



That it is not a new and distinct species, or, at all events, that it is an 

 albinese individual, is, it seems to me, clear, from the light colour of the 



