54 NATURAL IlISTOKY 



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 o^ood observation on the 

 colour of the pupils and the irides. 



The most unusual birds 1 ever observed 

 in these parts were a pair of hoopoes 

 (upupaj, which came several years ago 

 in the summer, and frequented an orna- 

 mented piece of ground, Avhich joins to 

 my garden, for some weeks. They used 

 to march about in a stately manner, feed- 

 ing in the walks, many times in the day • 

 and seemed disposed to breed in my 

 outlet ; but were frighted and perse- 

 cuted by idle boys, who would never let 

 them be at rest. 



Three gross-beaks (loxia coccotlirauslesj 

 appeared some years ago in my fields, in 

 the Winter ; one of which I shot ; since 

 that, now and then one is occasionally 

 seen in the same dead season. 



A cross-hill flo.via curvirostraj was 

 killed last year in this neighbourhood. 



