1789 HOW TO PEESEEVE BIEDS 203 



being scarce and shy ; perhaps I may be favoured with them 

 from you, as well as their eggs, another season if not this : 

 If your Pigeon-hawk should be different I should be obliged 

 to you for further explanation as I am not acquainted with 

 it by that name. 



The Hobby, which I want, has been called the blue hawk 

 by some; its eggs I should be glad of and are no doubt 

 to be found in your extensive woodlands: they are scarce 

 with us. You are surprised at my requesting of you the 

 Goat-sucker: 'tis true many parts of this county produce 

 them, but they are not to be commanded, and one bird 

 in the spring or before August is worth twenty after that 

 time, as most birds are then out of feather, and the young 

 ones are seldom in full, or proper plumage till the winter, 

 and many till the ensuing spring. In the latter end of 

 October birds have mostly done moulting, and are again 

 fit for preservation: however scarce birds are acceptable 

 at all times, till a better supplies its place. Since I wrote 

 I have killed the male Goatsucker, and as I have seen a 

 female it is probable I may get it, but the egg I despair 

 of in this part. You seem to suspect the distance through 

 town would endanger spoiling any specimen during warm 

 weather. 'Tis true without some little precaution it might, 

 but if a bird was carefully opened with a sharp knife from 

 the vent along the abdomen to the lower part of the breast 

 bone, and the bowels taken out (after laying the feathers 

 back with a little damp paper to prevent blooding them 

 in the operation), and a little powdered alum was put 

 therein and some tow, or soft paper to prevent the feathers 

 from falling in, and to soak up any superfluous moisture, 

 would ensure their passage twice as far; a little alum in 

 the mouth and throat might be added if the bird is stale 

 before sent: and if the weather is warm a brown paper 

 damped with vinegar would be an excellent second wrapper 

 — first laying the bird smooth in soft paper, which can 



