626 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



bastard wing o£ that bird had no existence beyond the 25th 

 degree of east longitude. Again, I collected Pigeons for 

 Darwin when he was investigating the question of the deve- 

 lopment of difference in species at various ages, from which 

 it appeared that the Booz Pigeon from Tunis was hatched 

 with an abnormally small beak, contrary to his favourite 

 theory. 



I hold that all such observations, apart from any fanciful 

 deductions which may be drawn from them, are substantially 

 useful, as affording materials for the ratiocination of future 

 ornithologists. I have lived long enough to see former bright 

 lights of science eclipsed by the still brighter lights of more 

 modern times ; but still it behoves those brighter lights to 

 acknowledge that they are largely indebted to the honest 

 work of their predecessors for the more exact results that 

 they have perhaps been able to obtain. The systems of 

 Linnaeus and of Yarrell may be superseded, but, at any rate, 

 they were the means by which their successors were led to 

 better things. 



"^ Mr. Grant alludes to the " Gould Collection.'-' I had the 

 pleasure of presenting John Gould with very many specimens 

 from Madeira, a few from India, and several from Spain 

 and North Africa. It is therefore quite possible that the 

 Petrel alluded to may have come from me. 



And now for a word or two respecting the points which 

 Mr. Grant refers to in his letter. 



Firstly, as to the " Canario,'" as the Portuguese call it — 

 that is to say, the green or wild Canary of Madeira. I had 

 in the first instance actually written the specific name as 

 " canaria." I was corrected by that eminent botanist and 

 conchologist the Rev. R. T. Lowe, who was for so many 

 years British Chaplain in Madeira, and who has written so 

 many valuable books in his own departments of natural 

 history. He told me that I was quite wrong, and that 

 " butyracea " was the proper term. My respect for Mr. 

 Lowe, and my faith in his knowledge — for, indeed, he was 

 also a very competent ornithologist — induced me to correct 

 my supposed error. I am now re-corrected by Mr. Grant, 



