Letters on Natural History. 5037 



you in my last, as I neglected to keep a list of contents of the letter, 

 a plan which I recommend to you in a scientific correspondence, as 

 it obviates the risk of saying the same thing over and over again in 

 successive letters, which you are otherwise likely to do when you 

 communicate detached facts ; and of detached facts every useful body 

 of science must consist, in my opinion, though too many modern 

 naturalists, and particularly ornithologists, seem to frame their systems 

 in the first place, and to look out for the facts to support them after- 

 wards. I am afraid I led you into an error in my last, in quoting 

 Selby on the Scolopax Sabini ; I do not know whether his Treatise 

 on the Water Birds is yet published or not; I quoted from some 

 Illustrations of Ornithology, chiefly of foreign birds, published in 

 conjunction some years since by Sir W. Jardine and Mr. Selby. 

 With respect to the small woodcock you mention as shot at Trebartba, 

 a very small variety is said by Lesson and by Storr to occur occasion- 

 ally of the common species ; and the American woodcock [Scolopax 

 minor), which is said to occur sometimes in Europe, answers in size 

 and weight to the specimen you mention, but has the nape barred as 

 in the common one, not marbled as in yours : the American woodcock 

 is further distinguished by having all the under parts uniform tawny, 

 rather bright. Scolopax Sabini is easily known, even in a glass case, 

 from any of the woodcocks, by the legs being bare above the knee, 

 which in the woodcocks are feathered to the joint; S. Sabini has in 

 other respects much of the port and appearance of a small woodcock, 

 but differs in colour, and has the crown entirely black. Tell me in 

 your next whether you have made anything out of your specimen from 

 these hints. On the variations of colour which you mention of the 

 peregrine falcon, I will quote a letter which I lately received from an 

 excellent naturalist, N. C. Strickland, Esq., son of Sir Wm. Strick- 

 land, of Boynton, in Yorkshire : he says, ' I consider that there are 

 three marked varieties : the first, which is very rare, and by far the 

 best for falconry, is very small, and rather bow-legged ; blue-gray on 

 the back, like a heron ; head very small ; eye keen ; legs nearly blue ; 

 lower belly and thighs grayish white in old birds, with the markings 

 blackish gray^ the young have the back grayish brown, with scarce 

 any paler edgings to the feathers, and have no tinge of rufous in their 

 plumage. The second var. (called owl-hawks by the falconers) are 

 very large, with large and very dark eyes ; the young reddish brown 

 above, inclining to black, the feathers with broad and distinct ferrugi- 

 nous edges; lighter parts with a strong rufous tinge; legs yellow: old 

 birds bistre-brown above ; under parts, where light, dirty brownish 



