556 NATURAL HISTORY 



faction of introducing a- new bird of which future ornitholo- 

 gist swill say," found at Strattonin Norfolk by that painful and 

 accurate Naturalist, Robert Marsham, Esq." 1 You observe 

 that Scopoli does not take notice that the hind claw is about 

 double the length of the fore claws, but Linnaeus corrobo- 

 rates your remark by saying, " Ungues validi, prsesertim 

 posticus." You seem a little to misunderstand Scopoli re- 

 specting the spots on the inner side of the quill feathers : by 

 the inner side he does not mean the under side of the wing 

 next the body, but only the inner or broader web of the 

 quills, on which those remarkable spots are found, as appear 

 by the drawing. I am much delighted wioh the exact copies 

 sent me in the frank, and so charmingly executed by the 

 fair unknown, whose soft hand has directed her pencil in a 

 most elegant manner, and given the specimens a truly deli- 

 cate and feathery appearance. Had she condescended to 

 have drawn the whole bird I should have been doubly 

 gratified ! It is natural to young ladies to wish to captivate 

 men, but she will smile to find that her present conquest is 

 a very old man. 



My best thanks are due for all your good offices respect- 

 ing my work, and in particular for your late recommendation 

 to the Duke of Portland. 



You did not in your last take any notice of my inquiries 

 concerning woodpeckers, whether they ever pierce a sound 

 tree, or only those that are tending to decay. 2 I have ob- 

 served that with us they love to bore the edible chestnuts ; 

 perhaps because the wood is softer than that of oak. They 

 breed in my outlet, I think in old willows. You have not 

 told me anything about Arthur Young. You cannot abhor 

 the dangerous doctrines of levellers and republicans more 

 than I do ! I was born and bred a gentleman, and hope I 



1 A prophecy singularly verified after an interval of more than eighty 

 years. ED. 



2 The ability of the Green Woodpecker to pierce sound timber has 

 been placed beyond doubt by the testimony of more recent observers. 

 ED. 



