N'atural History in the English Counties. 437 



the bird is 11^ in.; the bill, which is 2a in. long, is yellow, with a brown tip ; 

 the lines on the head are of a dirty buff 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. I am. Sir, &c. — J, A, Harvey. Kingtoriy 

 Herefordshire y 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 propylseum, 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 front 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 antae 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 antae 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. 6 in. The floor is formed of scagliola plaster, by 

 Mr. Ellison, in imitation of porphyry. The walls resemble stone ; and the 

 ceiling, being divided into bold panels, gives the whole a very massive and 

 suitable effect. On the right of the hall is the librai-y, 31 ft. 9 in. by 18 ft. 

 6 in. : here the books and miscellaneous antiquities belonging to the Society 

 are deposited. A door on the left of the library leads to the staircase anj 



