LETTEKS TO ME. WARNER 149 



To Mr. Warner* 



' Bournemouth : January 21, 1887. 



' I am much obliged to you for your letter 

 of 19th, and your natural history notes. I 

 only wish that others about Lilford who have 

 more time at their disposal, and better oppor- 

 tunities for this sort of observation, would keep 

 a diary, with accurate dates and localities, for as 

 a rule I never hear of these things till my return 

 to Lilford ; not always then, for dates and other 

 particulars which have special interest for me 

 are forgotten. Stretton is a good observer, and 

 Cosgrave has a good knowledge of birds. I 

 don't think that anyone else knows a "hawk 

 from a heronshaw " except the gamekeepers, who 

 look upon everything that is not game as vermin, 

 though I hope and believe that I have now per- 

 suaded them to spare the owls, about the most 

 useful of British birds. . . . 



' I am afraid that the weather must interfere 

 a good deal with attendance and school progress, 

 but I hope to hear as favourable a report as one 

 can fairly expect in such circumstances.' 



1 For many years the schoolmaster at Lilford. 



