240 MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. 



hesitate to pronounce it that discovered by you, tho' mine did 

 not possess any white on the tips of the cpuills or secondary 

 feathers ; but the belly was of a pure white, and the action of 

 its wings agrees with your description: besides the note it 

 commonly uses, which is somewhat grasshopper-like, it pro- 

 duces a shrill note five or six times repeated, something like 

 the marsh titmouse. One pair of these birds I only know of 

 about this neighbourhood now, the nest of which I have not 

 been fortunate enough to discover ; if one should come across 

 you it would be an acquisition to me. You are perfectly 

 right in saying the name of tvilloiv wren is very inadequate. 

 I wish you had given them distinct names, as I believe you 

 have the merit of the original discovery. I am surprized 

 Pennant makes no mention of these acquisitions to ornitho- 

 logy, as your letter of the 17 th of Aug 1 1768 long preceded 

 his last edition. Do you know if Latham has adopted them 

 in his • Systema Ornithologise,' which is to come before the 

 publick next winter? I am at a loss for your blue pigeon- 

 Jiawk, especially as you say its female is brown ; from its place 

 of resort I should conceive it to be the hen harrier, and that 

 vou had not corrected the mistake of other ornithologists, and 

 which Pennant fell into in his first ed", where he gave the 

 ring tall for its female. Their habits and manners are nearly 

 the same, only the latter perch on trees occasionally ; its white 

 rump at once distinguishes it from all others when skimming 

 over the surface of the earth like the hen harrier : it makes 

 irs nest on the ground. Both these species we have, but not 

 preserved, not having been able to procure them, being scarce 

 and shy. Perhaps I may be favoured with them from you, as 

 well as their eggs, another season, if not this. If y r 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 y r extensive woodlands ; they are scarce with us. 



You were surprized 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 



