like a palm," '' plant is palmatis.'' Linnaeus seems to 

 be in a puzzle about his Mus amphibius, and to doubt 

 whether it differs from his Mus terrestris, which if it 

 be, as he allows, the *' mus agrestis capite grandi 

 brachyurus," a field-mouse, with '* a large head and 

 a short tail," is widely different from the water-rat, 

 both in size, make, and manner of life. 



As to the falco, 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, such as you 

 would say it had formerly been, seeing that the re- 

 mains are what they are," '' qualeni dices . , . mitehac 

 ficissc, tales cum sint reliquicB ! " 



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 Eng- 

 lish hawks ; neither could I find any like it at the 

 curious exhibition of stuffed birds in Spring Gar- 

 dens. I found it nailed up at the end of a barn, 

 which is the countryman's museum. 



The parish I live in is a very abrupt, uneven coun- 

 try, full of hills and woods, and therefore full of birds. 



August 4, 1767, 



[In severe weather, fieldfares, redwings, skylarks, 



and titlarks resort to watered meadows for food ; the 



40 



