Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 207 



stance was evidently not attained, as the keeper's wife saw it 

 sitting quietly on the paling of the garden, and looking as 

 sheepish as Falcons usually do when they miss their quarry. 



The colouring of the soft parts was as follows : — Irides bright 

 yellow ; bill bluish, with a blackish-brown tip ; cere and gape 

 obscure yellow ; legs and toes pale yellow. 



I have been particular in describing the colouring of the soft 

 parts, because these points, which are often of great interest, are 

 too frequently neglected ; and I would suggest to those who 

 have the opportunity of observing our birds in a state of nature, 

 the desirability of their carefully attending to and recording the 

 colouring of the soft parts, from life, or immediately after death, 

 of some of our rarer, and indeed of even our commoner birds, 

 such as the Rails, Crakes, Sand-pipers, Ducks,and Sea-birds, and 

 especially of their dress and colouring during the first few days 

 of their existence, the downy or infantine dress being often 

 most interesting, and comparatively unknown. 



I am, Sir, 



Yours very obediently, 



John Gould. 

 20 Broad-street, Golden- square, W. 

 Feb. 3, 1859. 



To the Editor of the Ibis. 



Sir, — In Mr. E. C. Taylor's interesting paper in the first 

 Number of ' The Ibis,' entitled "Ornithological Reminiscences of 

 Egypt," that gentleman remarks, that in Milvus agyptius " the 

 beak is pale straw-colour and the irides are brown, character- 

 istics which at once distinguish it from Milvus ater of Europe, 

 which has the beak black and the irides yellow." I have now in 

 my possession living specimens of both these species. I am able 

 to state, that in both of them the irides are brown, the only 

 difference between them in this respect being that the irides 

 are a darker brown in Milvus ater than they are in Milvus 

 cegyptius. 



J. H. GUKNKY. 

 Catton Hall, Norwich, 

 Feb. 18, 1859. 



