324 Cummin gs, A biographical sketch of Col. George Montagu. 



marshtitmouse. One pair of these birds I only know of about this neighbour- 

 hood now, the nest of which I have not been fortunate to discover; if one 

 should come across you it would be an acquisition to me. You are perfectly 

 right in saying the name of the willowwren is very inadequate. I wish you 

 had given them distinct names as I believe you have the merit of the original 

 discovery. Pennant makes no mention of this acquisition to ornithology, as 

 your letter of the 17th Augt,, 1768 long preceded his last edition. Do you 

 know if Latham has adopted them in his "Systema ornithologiae" which is to 

 come before the publick next winter? I am at a loss for your blue pigeon 

 hawk especially as you say its female is brown. From its place of resort I 

 should conceive it to be a hen harrier and that you had not corrected the 

 mistake of other ornithologists and which Pennant fell into in his first ed. 

 where he gives the ringtail for its female. Their habits and manners are 

 nearly the same. Only the latter perches on trees occasionally; its white 

 rump always distinguishes it from all others when skimming over the surface 

 of the earth like the hen harrier: it makes its nest on the ground. Both these 

 species we have not preserved not having been able to procure them being 

 scarce and shy. Perhaps I may be favoured with them from you as well as 

 their eggs another season if not this. If your pigeon hawk should be diffe- 

 rent I should be obliged to you for further explanations as I am not acquain- 

 ted with it by that name. The hobby that I want has been called the blue 

 hawk by some. Its eggs I should be glad of and are no doubt to be found 

 in your extensive woodlands; they are scarce with us. You are surprised at 

 my requesting of you the goatsucker. 'Tis true many parts of this country 

 produce them, but they are not to be commanded; and one bird in the spring 

 or before Augt. is worth twenty after that time as most birds are then out 

 of feather and the young ones are seldom in full or proper plumage until the 

 winter and many until the ensuing spring. In the latter end of October birds 

 have mostly done moulting and are again fit for preservation; many scarce 

 birds are at all times acceptable until a better supplies its place. Since I 

 wrote I have killed a male goatsucker and as I have seen a female it is pro- 

 bable I may get it, but the egg I despair of in this part. 



I remain, dr sir, your much obliged and faithful humble servant 



G. Montagu. 



The following is a list of Montagu's publications: 



The Sportsman's Dictionary, or a Treatise on Gunpowder and Firearms. 



London, 1792, reprinted 1803. 8". 



The Ornithological Dictionary, i vol. 8°, 1802. 



Supplement to the preceeding 1813, printed at Exeter by S. Woolmer. 



A 2nd. edition pubi, in 1831 with remarks and introduction by J.^mes Rennie, 



Prof, of Nat. Hist., King's College, London. Subsequently in 1866, Edward 



Newman, at this time Editor of the "Zoologist" brought out another edition, 



incorporating the additional species described by Selby, Yarrell and 



others. Prof Alfred Newton's Dictionary of birds is written in Dictionary 



form but it treats of the birds of the world and not of Great Britain alone, 



— 18 — 



