270 Deane, History of Townsend's Bunting. [July 



of its capture as was furnished to him by Townsend the previous 

 year, particularly as the bird was new to science. 



As Townsend's description, sent to Audubon, is headed "Ember- 

 iza Auduboni — Audubon's Bunting," he evidently intended to 

 name the species after Audubon, who in turn reversed the compli- 

 ment, no doubt thinking it should bear the name of its discoverer. 



Audubon, in his short account, did not give the date of capture, 

 but we find the following record in Dr. Michener's l 'Insectivorous 

 Birds of Chester County, Pennsylvania' (U. S. Agricultural Report, 

 1863, p. 287): "New Garden, 11th of 5th month, 1833.— This 

 morning my friend John K. Townsend, in company with John 

 Richards, while in quest of birds for my cabinet, shot a bunting 2 in 

 William Brown's cedar grove, near New Garden meeting-house,, 

 which is believed to be a nondescript. We have given it the pro- 

 visional name of Euspiza albigula, or white-throated bunting." 



Contrary to the above, Townsend, in his original manuscript, 

 now in my possession, gives the date of capture as 12th of June, 

 1S33. Townsend, however, may have recorded from memory 

 four months later, while we know that Michener's record was taken 

 from his diary. 



Accompanying the Townsend manuscript is a verbatim copy in 

 the hand-writing of Mrs. Audubon. Heading this copy, in Audu- 

 bon's hand, is written, "read on the other side first." On the back 

 of the sheet he had written, to preface Townsend's description, the 

 following : 



"On my reaching Philadelphia 3 bent on going to the Floridas 

 once more, I had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with 

 John K. Townsend Esq. of that city. His zeal for the study of 

 ornithology was unrelented. I saw this in his fine eye whilst he 

 with enthusiastic glee spoke to me of a new bird lately procured by 

 himself. I saw this bird and accepted it to make the drawing now 

 before you, and as its habits are yet unknown, I merely can give a 

 copy of Mr. Townsend's letter to me on the subject." 



1 Dr. Ezra Michener, born 1794; died 1887. 



2 This mounted specimen was in Dr. Michener's cabinet for twenty-four years. 

 It was then (1857) deposited with the Smithsonian Institution, but was not catalogued 

 (No. 10.282) until May 21, 1858. 



3 On September 14, 1833, Dr. John Bachman wrote an urgent letter to Audubon 

 to again visit him at his home in Charleston, S. C. This invitation was accepted 

 and he was evidently on his way there when passing through Philadelphia. 



