422 
Preserver received 4 of these birds in beautiful feather from a 
sportsman who bad met with them wild (where I did not learn) 
and for whom the four were preserved in one case in different 
attitudes aud formed an interesting group. 
I have no doubt you are correct about the true Wild Goose. 
The proportion of Bean Geese to the Grey Lag, as far as my oppor- 
tunities of observation have gone, are at least as 100 to 1. Some 
years ago, I had a weeks Partridge-shooting in the vicinity of 
Swaffham, and on one day I walked with the late Philip ITamond 
while he shot, at Westacre — on that occasion we saw a flock of 
Geese of several hundreds : by what means I do not now recollect, 
hut we got one — and tho’ called a Wild Goose — it was Anscr 
segetum. The late Rob 4 - Hamond used to call here when in 
London to talk over novelties in British ornithology. 
The male of the Little Bustard only carries his black feathers on 
the neck during the breeding season — and the Dusky Grebe of 
authors is the winter state of Podiceps cornutus. I have not 
found Spowe* in any Dictionary or Glossary ; but I shall continue 
my search, and enquiry and will report if I am successful. Rabbits 
killed by a Sparrow Hawk is a new fact to me. I have 2 or 3 
times dissected the Porpoise, and on one occasion when the subject 
was young and very fresh, I found the flesh excellent meat, dark in 
colour and large in fibre, but of excellent flavor, very tender and 
full of gravy. If you make the experiment yourself, it is desirable 
to cut the muscular part off quite clear of any of the subcutaneous 
layer of fat. How birds manage to cover their eggs so suddenly I 
will endeavour to explain in a future letter. 
I am, Dear Sir 
Yours very truly 
Ryder Street W m - Yarrell. 
S T - James’s— 
[The drawing accompanying this letter bears on the back “ Clias. INI. Curtis, 
del. Aug*- 1837,” and represents two eggs. The upper figure purporting 
to be that of the Jack-Snipe, can not have had an egg of that species 
for its origin, but most likely a Dunlin’s. The lower figure is a very correct 
likeness of the egg of the Virginian Quail.] 
* Messrs Gurney and Fisher suppose that the “spowe,” of the Lestrange 
MSS. was the Whimbrel, and since the Icelandic name of that bird is Spot, 
there can be little doubt some species of wader was intended {cf. B. Nor/., 
i. p. 213, ii. p. 201). 
