170 LORD LILFORD 



to be on the ground, his legs are rather too long, 

 and his whole coloration is too light. I should 

 guess that the specimen from which you took 

 the drawing must have been a young bird in 

 autumn plumage. There should be several 

 Wood Sandpipers in my drawers in Princes 

 Street, from South Spain.' 



To F. D. Dreivitt. 



' Lilford : September 22, 1891. 



' . . . I have a good many new and very 

 interesting things here, and wish that you could 

 run down for a Sabbath and have a look fit 

 them — inter alia, the first Great Black Wood- 

 pecker that, as far as I know, has ever been 

 seen in this country; you would be interested 

 in observing that in this bird the pupil is not 

 in the centre of the iris, being a good deal nearer 

 the gape than the occiput.' 



To Archibald Thorburn. 



' Lilford : October 5, 1891. 



1 The Snow Goose is excellent. I may say 

 the same of the Quails, but should like an old 

 male in spring plumage with a dark chin. Mr. 



