AN UNPUBLISHED MS. OF WILLIAM MARKWICK. 339 



date ; and, more important still, the coloured figures drawn by 

 Markwick from nature are sufficiently good to show that he did not 

 in every case correctly identify the species of the birds he obtained. 



A few instances are sufficiently interesting to be noted here, 

 and it may not be amiss in running over the printed Catalogue to 

 indicate where useful additions or corrections may be supplied, 

 not only from Markwick's MS. note-book, but also from his 

 remarks appended to Gilbert White's " Observations." 



The reader may be reminded that his ' Catalogue' consists of 

 two parts: firstly, a list of species numbering 175, divided into 

 Land Birds and Water Birds (but including also such domestic 

 birds as Peacock, Turkey, Guinea-fowl, Muscovy Duck, Chinese 

 Goose, &c, which would have been properly omitted), and, 



^ secondly, " Notes or remarks on the foregoing Catalogue." 

 The first bird on the list is the Golden Eagle, of which 

 Markwick observes, "several years ago I saw a bird of this 

 species which was killed at Bexhill, in this neighbourhood." It 

 is of course impossible now to determine the accuracy or other- 

 wise of our author's identification, but as he has further on 

 shown that he could not distinguish an eyess Peregrine Falcon 

 from a Buzzard (p. 13), we may be excused perhaps for doubting 

 whether his "Golden Eagle" was not a young Sea Eagle — a 



I species far more likely to have been met with in Sussex. 

 The two dark brown hawks seen in winter about the high 

 trees in Denn Park in pursuit of the Books (Cat. p. 13), were far 

 more likely to have been immature Peregrines than Buzzards, 

 especially as one of them which was taken is described as being 

 " of less dimensions, of a more slender make, and more active 

 than the Moor Buzzard." 



It is of interest to note that the " Bed-legged Crow, Corvas 

 graculus" in Markwick's day, "frequented the South Downs 

 about Beachy Head and East Bourn, where it is called the Ked- 

 billed Jackdaw" (Cat. p. 14). 



The occurrence of the Roller (pp. 3, 14), Hoopoe (p. 14), and 

 Chatterer, Ampelis garrulus (p. 15), are noteworthy. So also is the 

 statement concerning the number of Wheatears which formerly 

 used to be taken in horse-hair nooses by the shepherds on the South 

 Downs about East Bourn, one man taking twenty-seven dozen in 

 two days in August, 1792, and another eighty-four dozen in one 

 day (p. 17). 



2 c 2. 



