SERPENTINE AS VIVARIUM RUFFS SNOWY OWL 217 



without Storks, which I am told have been 

 introduced there ; but the Serpentine is really a 

 fine sheet of water, and under judicious manage- 

 ment, without going so far as my salt-water 

 scheme, might be made into a very valuable and 

 interesting vivarium. ... I think that the 

 yellowish-brown colour of the legs of Ruffs does 

 not vary much with age or sex. My theory is 

 that the young males of the previous year all 

 carry a white ruff to begin with, and would have 

 it fully developed now, as far as it goes, but it 

 is never so full as in older birds. In winter 

 plumage size is the best distinction, the females 

 being generally 2J to 3 inches less than the 

 males.' 



To the same. 



' Lilford : July 2, 1890. 



' I have a thriving brood of Azure-winged 

 Magpies, hatched a few days ago. One of my 

 Teydean Chaffinches is sitting hard upon one 

 egg, and I have a Snowy Owl sitting upon six. 

 ... I fear that I shall not live to see Gatke's 

 book on Heligoland.' 



