^82 Rhoads, Aiidubouiaiia. f Oct^ 



Box will be taken as far as London by Victor, who will leave us on 

 the first of January. You will find in it a list of the contents, and 

 I trust such bird skins as may answer your purpose well. Besides 

 these Victor will also attend to your request as soon as in New 

 York and will ship to you by way of Havre as you direct. • 



I am glad that you should have seen what you conceive to be 

 the great rara avis F. VVashingtonii. I am sorry you could not 

 have pocketed it, but who knows if it is not left yet in store for 

 you and I to shoot a pair of these noble birds at The West, and 

 that, after having satisfactorily examined its habits, its eggs, or its 

 young ! Bonaparte, between you and I, is exceedingly ignorant 

 as regards our birds, as I found to my cost when he was in 

 London, and where he pumped me sadly too much, but it is now 

 over and I forgive him as I do all others who have or who may 

 try to injure me. 



John Bachman wrote to me that he had left in commission to 

 Trudeau, the purchase for me of a copy of Vieillot's Osieaux de 

 I'Amerique Septentrionale and also a copy of Boie or Boje work on 

 birds generally, but I have received neither books or promises of 

 them from Trudeau. Pray ask him something upon this subject, 

 and if he has not purchased them as yet, perhaps you would under- 

 take the task yourself, and show to Havell as soon as possible, for 

 I shall be sadly in want of them in a few weeks more. L should 

 also like you to try to find Mr. Augustus Thorndike of Boston, to 

 whom Victor wrote a few days ago, with the view to enquire from 

 that Gentleman when he Avished his copy of the Birds of America 

 to be delivered. Victor addressed the letter to "his Hotel" or to 

 the care of the "American Embassy." We are not sure, however, 

 whether he is in Paris at present, and let me know what discover- 

 ies you have made as regards this. — Victor will remain ten days 

 in London and wishes you, should you write to him there, to put 

 your letter under coi'er to Havell and request him to keep it. 

 Victor will write to you from thence. 



I cannot account why Trudeau has not written to me in answer 

 to my last, now full two months old? Should yow perchance dis- 

 cover a specimen of the Bird of Washington in Paris and purchase 

 the same, I should like you to send it me on loan to enable me to 

 compare it with mine, and the Immature of the F. Albicilla of 

 Europe ! 



