iS THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



As a writer, however, he was not prohfic, and he never published 

 any other separate works. His correspondence with brother entomo- 

 logists, both at home and abroad, was very extensive, and his liberality 

 in supplying them with specimens and information was almost 

 unbounded. His collections both of birds and insects were, in their 

 day, almost unrivalled. During his later life, ornithology, to which 

 he had formerly given much attention, was largely neglected in favour 

 of entomology. He was an excellent shot, and was very skilful 

 as a stuffer. A considerable number of birds from Epping Forest 

 were presented by him to the British Museum. To him we are 

 indebted for first detecting in England the Little Ringed Plover, 

 {.■Egialitis curo?tica), as well as the Blue-headed Wagtail (Motacilla 

 Hava). 



In 1866, he sustained a heavy pecuniary loss. For a time he 

 struggled on, but a crisis came in 1870. The thought of being in 

 debt, and of having to part with his collections, so troubled him 

 that for three months early in 1871 he had to be placed in " I'he 

 Retreat " at York, where the balance of his mind, upset by his anxie- 

 ties, was soon restored. Through the kindness of friends, his books 

 and his collections of lepidoptera were preserved to him, and he was 

 enabled to end his days in the old home, where he busied himself, as 

 before, with his garden and his favourite pursuits. His ornithological 

 collections were sold by auction, by Mr. George Hine, at the Cock 

 Hotel, Epping, directly opposite his house, on August 23rd, 187 1, 

 when 173 lots, comprising 540 specimens in 288 cases, realized J^^^i^. 

 Among the birds disposed of were the first British Blue-headed 

 Wagtail, the White-winged and Parrot Crossbills shot at Epping, two 

 Forked-tailed Petrels from Epping and a Bittern from Coopersale, as 

 mentioned hereafter. Among the chief purchasers were Messrs. 

 Ashmead, F. Bond, W. Borrer, David Christy, J. H. Gurney, jun., 

 J. E. Harting, Arthur Lister, A. H. Smee and Septimus '\\'arner. 



Henry Doubleday was never married ; for nearly thirty years a 

 distant cousin, Ann Main by name, directed his household affairs. 

 He was throughout life a member of the Society of Friends. Among 

 scientific men at large, he cannot hold a high place ; but as a 

 lepidopterist simply, he was, in the words of his friend, Edward New- 

 man, "without exception the foremost this country has produced." 

 To this it may be added that, as a naturalist, he was probably, with 

 the exception of the illustrious Ray, the most eminent this county 

 has ever produced. One of his latest scientific articles consisted of 

 some observations on "The Eggs of the Cuckoo" (34. 3472), pub- 

 lished in 1873: his last appeared in \\i& Zoologist for May, 1875 



