92 NOTES ON ILLUSTRATIONS 



flamingo, marbled duck, and possibly one or two more ; 

 and if my present idea takes shape should be most 

 happy to entrust the illustrations to you. In any case 

 I should be glad if you would make me a drawing of 

 adult bearded vulture. Your sketches from the bird at 

 Lilford would do admirably for attitude, but I should 

 like to represent the deep tawny-red throat and breast of 

 the wild bird. I want as much of a ' picture ' as you 

 think the colourists are likely to reproduce satisfactorily 

 a single bird on a pinnacle of mountain limestone,, 

 looking over a wild rugged valley far below, with a snowy 

 range in the far background, would I think do well." 



"January 28*%, 1889. 



"I do not remember at this moment if you took a 

 sketch of my old white-tailed eagle at Lilford, or not ; 

 if not it might be as well to defer finishing sketch of 

 adult till you have an opportunity of taking her portrait, 

 as she is thirty-five years old, and has always moulted 

 out very clean ; alive or dead you could hardly have 

 a more perfect specimen. 



"I do not know whether it would be possible to- 

 convey in a drawing the pearly bloom on the plumage of 

 this bird at all events I have never seen an attempt at 

 it ; but you have succeeded so admirably with the plum 

 bloom on a golden eagle and a buzzard that I am 

 inclined to think that you would not be beaten by this 

 peculiarity." 



