Finishing Strokes to the Bird-paper. 175 



impossible to draw the line ; and perhaps this is of no great conse- 

 quence in the case of a wide-ranging species which was probably once 



general. seems sure of the Rough-legged B. I suppose 



will not approve of being doubted as to Montagu's Harrier. ... I hope 

 to be in Cambridge with C. C. B. about end of January. 



(December 2Qth.} Thank you for showing me the mistake about the 

 Redwing. . . . Unfortunately I am completely cut off from books, so 

 cannot say anything more with regard to Blyth beyond that I believe I 

 found his statement of several nests in Surrey in the first volume of 

 Charlesworth, and that I fancied it was in the same paragraph with the 

 notice of the nest at Barnet. My only note was a reference to "Charles- 

 worth, 1837." ... I am surprised that you do not find Blyth's statement 

 about the several nests, as I am generally very careful, and not likely to 

 have invented the idea. ... If you have time will you look up the Sea 

 Eagle in Charlesworth, vol. i., pp. 118 and 440. Is it safely this species 

 and not the Golden ? 



(December 28th.} Herewith I send you the revised "revise." I 

 have gone over it once more, carefully, and have found a few small 

 defects. I hope the Snowy Owl and Redwing are now "cooked" to 

 your fancy. I do not know whether the additional sentences are too 

 long or not, but I tried to make them take up the proper space. It will 

 be easy to strike off a few words at end of Snowy Owl ; and will you be 

 kind enough to insert the latitude of its breeding limit abroad, for 

 which a space is left ? The Scops would be better if I had the exact 

 date of Mr. Hogg's nest, and the reference to the book. I think it is in 

 "London's Magazine," one of the early volumes. I think this record 

 quite incredible; still I suppose it must go in. ... Stanford's Map 

 looks very well, I think. I have marked a few errata on the margin, 

 but I do not think they signify much, and I suppose would be very diffi- 

 cult to put right on a copper plate, if that is the material. I shall hope 

 to see you in Cambridge by the middle or end of next week, and to 

 thank you personally for taking so much trouble with my paper. Your 

 additions are a great improvement. . . . P. S. You will see that the map 

 is not on the right kind of paper for colouring. The ink runs. 



After a few days' stay with Professor Babington at 

 Cambridge he returned to Dublin to resume work at 

 " Cybele Hibernica," January, 1865. 



