a tame kite picking up the female ants full of 

 eggs with much satisfaction.]— Observations on 

 Nature. 



LETTER XI. 



To Thomas Pennant, Esq. 



It will not be without impatience that I shall 

 wait for your thoughts with regard to \\\^ falco ; as 

 to its weight, breadth, &c. I wish I had set them 

 down at the time; but, to the best of my remem- 

 brance, it weighed two pounds and eight ounces, and 

 measured, from wing to wing, thirty-eight inches. 

 Its cere and feet were yellow, and the circle of its 

 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 {tiptipd), which came 

 several years ago in the summer, and frequented an 

 ornamented piece of ground, which joins to my gar- 

 den, 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; 

 but were frighted and persecuted by idle boys, who 

 would never let them be at rest. 



* The irides are brown in all the British falcons. 

 42 



