CORRESPONDENCE 189 



bump on the back of his head as large, according 

 to him, as a turkey's egg. Thus his moth-hunting 

 expedition was brought to a speedy end for that 

 night ; but adventures such as this in nowise daunted 

 him in his enthusiastic researches in the domain of 

 natural history. 



It would seem that this animated description of 

 Edward's encounter brought back to my father 

 some vivid recollections of his school-days in con- 

 nection with these animals, which at that time 

 were pretty commonly met with ; for, on Edward's 

 making the assertion that, though Badgers can bite 

 desperately, they cannot run fast, Mr. Morris added 

 the following note of his own : " Can't they ? Some 

 of my schoolfellows will have with me, I entertain 

 no doubt at least I can answer for myself a con- 

 siderable amount of difference of opinion about 

 this. What a tale I could unfold of school-days ! " 



Thomas Edward's communications were always 

 to be depended on for accuracy of description, as 

 well as being most interesting reading, but we can- 

 not here dwell longer on them. 



The agitation connected with the passing of the 

 Bird Protection Acts naturally brought Mr. Morris 

 many communications from those who sympathised 

 with him, and they came from people of all classes. 

 Occasionally he was roundly abused by some 

 1 sportsman/ so called, who wrote, perhaps wisely 

 in these cases, under cover of an incognito. By 

 no means always, however, were his anonymous 

 correspondents on the side of the enemy. I will 



