162 LORD LILFORD 



To Archibald Thorbuni. 



' Bournemouth : January 14, 1890. 



1 . . . I have this morning received your 

 letter and the drawings. The Snowy Owls 

 cannot be improved upon, but I think that the 

 Squatting Grebe, admirable in attitude and 

 colour as it is, must have been figured from a 

 specimen not fully adult, or losing the nuptial 

 plumage, as the " horns " in an adult bird are 

 decidedly greyish. The tippet is longer than 

 in the picture, and its outside margin black or 

 nearly so, the edges of the feathers on back 

 have greyish margins, and the breast and fore- 

 neck should be of quite glistening snowy white ; 

 the legs and feet are a shade too light-coloured, 

 though of the right style of green. I am by 

 no means really satisfied with the razor bill, 

 though I think it is improved.' 



To the same. 



' April 20, 1890. 



' I am sending you with the drawings two of 

 Baillon's Crakes' skins. In habits and attitude 

 they exactly resemble the Little Crake. Both 



