INTRODUCTION Vll 



knew, or in which I was interested, was within 

 his ken. I had learned that he was a famous 

 ornithologist, but he did not call upon me to 

 follow him into his own subject, and preferred 

 general conversation. We talked of European 

 literature, politics, and society. We compared 

 notes of travel and experiences of various 

 peoples. He told me his own reminiscences 

 with point and brevity. As he did so the pathos 

 of his life was borne upon my mind. In some 

 countries he had travelled in his youthful vigour, 

 a keen sportsman, wandering among the people 

 and sharing their life and interests. To other 

 lands he had gone in search of health, confined 

 within the region of hotels, yet retaining the 

 same keen interest in everything, intent upon 

 picking up all the knowledge that he could. 

 But his mention of these limitations was merely 

 incidental ; there was never a note of complaint, 

 merely an explanation why he had not seen or 

 done more. One felt the heavy trial which it 

 must have been to this buoyant and vigorous 



