Natural History in the English Counties. 437 
the bird is 114 in.; the bill, which is 23 in. long, is yellow, with a brown tip ; 
the lines on the head are of a dirty built and dusky brown colour ; the chin 
is of a pale reddish buff; the breast yellowish brown, and the belly white. 
The back of the neck, back, scapulars, and tail-coverts are of various shades 
of brown, yellow, and bright chestnut. The lesser coverts of the wings 
and quill feathers are a light dusky brown; the tail-feathers are barred with 
brown, chestnut, white, and yellow ; the legs and feet are a light yellowish 
brown. The plumage is altogether composed of delicate and pleasing light 
shades of the colours described. Iam, Sir, &c.—J. A. Harvey. Kington, 
Herefordshire, Jan. 25. 
YORKSHIRE. 
Yorkshire Philosophical Society. — The Anniversary Meeting of the York- 
shire Philosophical Society was held, for the first time, on the 2d of Feb., 
in the theatre of the new museum; which building is now completed, and 
reflects equal credit upon the good taste and public spirit of its projectors, 
being alike an honour and an ornament to the city and county. 
The Yorkshire museum stands in an enclosure of about three acres, part 
of the site of the once rich and powerful abbey of St. Mary, which, since 
the dissolution, has been the property of the Crown, and was munificently 
granted by His late Majesty, in 1827, to the Yorkshire Philosophical So- 
ciety. The venerable ruins of the abbey occupy the north-western side of 
the enclosure; the Roman multangular tower and ancient city walls sepa- 
rate it from the city to the south-east. On an eminence in the centre, the 
museum rears its noble front, looking down upon the river, and to the ex- 
tensive landscape beyond. The entrance to the grounds, from the city, is 
by a Doric gateway, or propylaeum, opening out of Lendal Street. On each 
side of the walk leading thence to the museum, the ground is appropriated 
to a botanic garden, which is designed to combine ornament with scientific 
utility. The remainder of the enclosure is laid out and planted with a view 
to picturesque embellishment, and with particular reference to the favour- 
able display of the venerable remains of antiquity which adorn and conse- 
crate the ground. 
The frent of the museum extends 102 ft., and was designed by William 
Wilkins, Esq., R.A. In the centre is a portico of four Grecian Doric 
columns (3 ft. 6 in. diameter, and 21 ft. 6 in. high ), extending 35 ft., and pro- 
jecting 10 ft., with bold steps all round it. The space on each side of the 
portico, which is terminated by an antze pilaster, has three windows, orna- 
mented by suitable architraves. A bold massive Grecian pediment is sup- 
ported by the columns, and the entablature continues the whole length of 
the front, and returns round the ends of this building, which is about 24 ft. 
wide. These ends have an ante pilaster at each angle, supporting a massive 
architectural screen to the roof, imitated from the choragic monument of 
Thrasyllus, at Athens. The whole of this building is faced with Hackness 
stone, from the quarries of Sir J. V. B. Johnstone, Bart., the gift of the 
munificent proprietor, and also the sides of the back buildings, which are 
lower than the front. 
From the portico, the entrance into the building is by spacious folding 
doors, with a light over them, resembling that over the door of the Pantheon 
at Rome. 
The internal arrangements were principally founded on a design made by 
Mr. Sharp, in 1825, and subsequently much enlarged and improved. The 
hall is 29 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. 6in. The floor is for med of scagliola plaster, by 
Mr. Ellison, in imitation of porphyry. The walls resemble stone ; and the 
ceiling, being divided into bold nanvels; gives the whole a very massive and 
suitable efect. On the right of the hall is the library, 31 ft. 9 in. by 18 ft. 
Gin.: here the books and miscellaneous antiquities belonging to the Society 
are deposited. A door on the left of the library leads to the staircase and 
