[appendix a.] birds of noefolk. 381 



i conclude it is a wall creeper or spider catcher. I find 

 he had not seen it in England."^ 



White was much interested by the information, and 

 sent him a translation of Scopoli's description of the 

 birdj which induced Marsham to send in return a 

 coloured drawing of two quill- feathers, of which he 

 says, 



"A young lady drew them for me, and they appear 

 to me to be very exact copies and charmingly executed." 



Professor Bell was kind enough to lend this drawing 

 to Professor Newton, who found it to represent probably 

 the fifth and seventh primaries of the wing of a female 

 or young male of Tichodroma muraria, " leaving no 

 doubt," as he remarks in a foot-note to the published 

 letters, " as to the correctness of the determination of 

 the specimen by Marsham and White." In his reply 

 White remarks, 



" You will have the satisfaction of introducing a new 

 bird of which future ornithologists will say — ' found at 

 Stratton, in Norfolk, by that painful and accurate 

 Naturalist, Robert Marsham, Esq.' " 



I may be excused for adding the concluding remarks 

 with regard to the coloured sketch sent him, which will 

 be found reproduced on plate v., as they are so charac- 

 teristic of this estimable man, and were written only 

 five months before his death : 



" I am much delighted with the exact copies [of the 

 two quills] sent me in the frank, and so charmingly 

 executed by the fair unknown, whose soft hand has 

 directed her pencil in a most elegant manner, and given 

 the specimens a truly delicate and feathery appearance. 

 Had she condescended to have drawn the whole bird, I 

 should have been doubly gratified ! It is natural to 

 young ladies to wish to captivate men ; but she will 

 smile to find her present conquest is a very old man." 

 To which Marsham replies, " I am glad you liked the 

 drawing of the two feathers ; I hinted my wish for the 



* This is quoted from Ray's translation. The actual words are, 

 "They say it is to be found in England; but we have not as yet 

 had the hap to meet with it " (p. 143). Professor Newton tells me 

 that the author referred to is Merrett, and that in his " Pinax " 

 (1667) the wall creeper is included as a British bird. 



