5044 Letters on Natural History. 



the appearance of lengthened streaks down the breast, belly and 

 sides, but more particularly on the breast.' It is a singular character 

 of the bird that the colour of the irides varies in different specimens, 

 being in some deep hazel, in others very light yellow: it may, how- 

 ever, always be known from the common hen harrier, exclusive of the 

 differences in the plumage, by almost entirely wanting the ruff on the 

 neck so conspicuous in both sexes of the hen harrier when alive : 

 the ashcoloured harrier is also much smaller. The following are the 

 dimensions of four specimens, given by Mr. Aikins in the ' Zoological 

 Journal:' — 'A male, killed June 17, weighed 9| oz. troy; length 17j 

 inches, breadth 3j feet: a female, killed June 17, weighed 10 J oz. ; 

 length 18J inches, breadth 3 feet 6J- inches : a female, killed June 19, 

 weighed 9j oz. ; length 17j inches, breadth 3 feet 9 inches, length of 

 tail 9J inches: a female, killed July 1, weighed 8j oz. ; length 17 

 inches, breadth 3 feet 9 inches, length of tail 9 inches.' ' In the crop 

 of the first,' says Mr. Aikins, l were five lizards in fragments, the tails 

 only perfect.' Strickland describes the young, from birds which were 

 observed in the nest till full-feathered : ' Young female : head and 

 round the eyes dirty white ; crown and neck orange-brown, spotted 

 with umber; base of feathers on the nape white; wing-coverts 

 orange-brown, marked with umber; throat yellow-white; two middle 

 tail-feathers umber, the rest orange-brown, barred with umber; other- 

 wise like the young male. Young male : head, neck and upper parts 

 umber, margins orange-brown; upper tail-covers pale hair-brown; 

 primaries and secondaries brown-black ; outer webs of the primaries 

 tinged with gray, which is not the case in the female; tips of se- 

 condaries yellowish white ; plumage in general of a lighter cast than 

 that of the young female.' I rather think that Strickland intends to 

 publish something on Ornithology shortly ; if he does it will be some- 

 thing worth having, as he is one of the best ornithologists I know. 



" I believe my budget of scraps is now exhausted, and I dare say 

 you think it is quite time it should be ; but I hope you will return to 

 the attack shortly, as I shall be grateful for any information you will 

 give me in any branch of Zoology ; so in hopes of hearing soon 

 from you, 



" I remain very truly yours, 



" Frederick Holme." 



