478 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, 6fc. 



but that his " pair of birds were shot on the Island of Arran 

 and three eggs obtained June lOth^ 1844;" that the "Great 

 Black-headed Gull {Larus icthyaetus) was obtained by himself 

 on the Island of Arran, June 5th, 1844," and was "a splendid 

 acquisition to his cabinet ; " and, finally, that his last oological 

 curiosity was " that wild bird, the Eider-duck, nesting in a wash- 

 ing-bowl close to an inhabited hut." 



It is evident, therefore, we think, if this list is authentic, that 

 the localities and dates attached to the specimens in the sale- 

 list of Dr. Martin Barry^s collections were not the invention of 

 the person who drew up the catalogue, as our correspondent 

 " Oophilus's " letter seems to imply might have been the case, 

 but were really taken from the deceased Doctor^s printed list 

 and note-books. We are not ourselves, however, of opinion 

 that they are to be depended upon on this account. We do 

 not believe that the Circa'dtus gallicus is to be met with nailed 

 up on barn doors in Ireland, nor that the Chestnut-breasted 

 Goose occurs either on the Gambia or in South America. 

 Whether Dr. Martin Barry was the deceiver or the deceived in 

 these and other cases we cannot say, but it is only fair to the 

 compiler of the Sale-catalogue to acknowledge that he appears 

 to have had Dr. Martin Barry^s authority for many of the im- 

 pugned dates and localities. 



In saying thus much, we assume that this printed list is really 

 the production of Dr. Martin Barry himself, and not, as has been 

 thought by some of our friends who have examined it, a forgery, 

 manufactured for the purpose of selling Dr. Martin Barry's eggs 

 to better advantage. 



In reference to " Oophilus's " letter, we have also received the 

 subjoined communication from another correspondent who veils 

 his name under the signature " Oologicus " : — 



To the Editor of ' The Ibis.' 



Sir, — I am desirous of making a few remarks on the able 

 letter of your correspondent " Oophilus," printed in your last 

 Number (p. 372). With his regrets I entirely agi*ee; but it 

 seems to me that he, as is the wont of persons of a generous na- 



