30 NATURAL HISTORY 
It haunted a marfliy piece of ground in queft of wild-ducks and 
fnipes : but, when it was (hot, had juft knocked down a rook, 
which it was tearing in pieces. I cannot make it anfwer to any of 
our Englip hawks ; neither could I find any like it at the curious 
exhibition of ftuffed birds in Spring-Gardens. I found it nailed up 
at the end of a barn, which is the countryman's mufeum. 
The parifh I live in is a very abrupt, uneven country, full of 
hills and woods, and therefore full of birds. 
LETTER XI. 
TO THE SAME. 
SelbornEj September 9, 1767. 
It will not be without impatience that I fliall wait for your 
thoughts with regard to the falco ; as to it's weight, breadth, &c. 
I wifli I had fet them down at the time : but, to the beft of my 
remembrance, it weighed two pounds and eight ounces, and mea- 
fured, from wing to wing, thirty-eight inches. It's cere and feet were 
yellow, and the circle of it's eyelids a bright yellow. As it had 
been killed fome days, and the eyes were funk, I could make no 
good obfervation on the colour of the pupils and the hides. 
The moft unufual birds I ever obferved in thefe parts were a 
pair of hoopoes {i^ipupa) ywlrich came feveral years ago in the fummer, 
and frequented an ornamented piece of ground, which joins to my 
garden, for fome weeks. They ufed to march about in a ftately 
manner, feeding in the walks, many times in the day ; and feemed 
difpofed 
