BOOTH'S COLLECTION BIRDS IN ST. JAMES'S PARK 215 



authorities declining it, but if I were a trustee 

 I should most unhesitatingly decline it under 

 the condition of building a new gallery, and 

 yet it ought to belong to the nation. I have no 

 belief in any municipal body, except for blunder 

 making. The main interest in the collection is 

 that it shows what can be done by one man in 

 the way of bird-slaughter, and by another or 

 two in the way of taxidermy ; and if the trustees 

 could shirk the conditions of removing it and 

 building a new gallery, I should say accept it 

 and appoint a curator.' 



To the same. 



1 Bournemouth : April 9, 1890. 



1 1 hear that the lizards arrived safely at the 

 Zool. Gardens ; Meade-Waldo told me that they 

 are found only upon a high isolated rock in the 

 Canaries, upon which it is always dangerous 

 and often impossible to land. ... I should very 

 much like to see Pelicans on wing about the 

 London parks; there is no reason whatever 

 that this should not be. The Crested Pelican is 

 very hardy and may be made perfectly tame, 

 but he must, of course, have his regular supply 



