24 THE NATURAL HISTOEY 



As to the falco, 1 which I mentioned in town, I shall take the 

 liberty to send it down to you into Wales ; presuming on your 

 candour, that you will excuse me if it should appear as familiar 

 to you as it is strange to me. Though mutilated " qualem dices 

 . . . antehac fuisse, tales cum sint reliquiae ! " 



It haunted a marshy piece of ground in quest of wild-ducks 

 and snipes : but, when it was shot, had just knocked down a 

 rook, which it was tearing in pieces. I cannot make it answer 

 to any of our English hawks ; neither could I find any like it 

 at the curious exhibition of stuffed birds in Spring-Gardens. I 

 found it nailed up at the end of a barn, which is the country- 

 man's museum. 



The parish I live in is a very abrupt, uneven country, full of 

 hills and woods, and therefore full of birds. 



LETTER XL 



TO THE SAME. 



Selborne, September 9, 1767. 



IT will not be without impatience that I shall wait for your 

 thoughts with regard to the falco ; as to it's weight, breadth, 

 &c. I wish I had set them down at the time : but, to the best 

 of my remembrance, it weighed two pounds and eight ounces, 

 and measured, from wing to wing, thirty -eight inches. It's cere 

 and feet were yellow, and the circle of it's eyelids a bright yellow. 

 As it had been killed some days, and the eyes were sunk, I could 

 make no good observation on the colour of the pupils and the 

 irides. 



The most unusual birds I ever observed in these parts were a 

 pair of hoopoes (upupa), which came several years ago in the 

 summer, and frequented an ornamented piece of ground, which 

 joins to my garden, for some weeks. They used to march about 

 in a stately manner, feeding in the walks, many times in the day ; 

 and seemed disposed to breed in my outlet ; 2 but were frighted 

 and persecuted by idle boys, who would never let them be at 

 rest. 



1 [See Letter XI. and the beginning of Letter XII. It is curious that White 

 should leave us in the dark about this falcon. It seems that Pennant identified it 

 as a variety of the peregrine. ] 



2 [By outlet White denotes the pleasure-grounds about a house.] 



