1865] Irish Plants v. British Birds. 179 



(Killybegs, June Jth.} Thank you and your brother extremely for 

 your kind thought in putting me in the way of botanical preferment. If 

 I were only strong enough, how I should delight in the chance, and the 

 more so that I could reckon upon so good a neighbour and friend 

 as your brother. But with the experience of the last month here, where 

 I have been quite the invalid, I fear the hot climate would be more than 

 I ought to risk. You know that I have been always a sort of invalid, 

 and I am sure that you will not think me ungrateful. I think I must 

 wait for something in this country. ... I hope to return soon to Dublin, 

 and will at once turn to the remainder of the Bird-paper. 



(Glasnevzn, July I5th.} I send you by this post a small instalment 

 as far as the end of Grallatores. ... I am desperately pressed for time, 

 or I would not have forwarded such a scribble ; but the Dublin folks are 

 hurrying me about the Flora, so that I can only get a stolen hour or 

 two, as it were, for the birds. Please tell me whether the present will 

 suffice for October, and if not I will set to work again on the Natatores. 

 But please make large alterations and amendments in the piece now 

 sent, as it was done in a hurry. 



(August 3rd.} I send you now the remainder of the Bird -distribu- 

 tion, and I suppose it will be best to have it all finished in the October 

 " Ibis," so as to have the whole in one volume. I have made it as 

 short as I could. Will you kindly do justice to your favourite the Gare- 

 fowl, which you will see is only roughly outlined ; and I hope you will 

 not think it too much trouble to insert what is necessary about the 

 Norfolk localities for Pochard and Wigeon. In another week (after 

 the loth of August), I am going to Wales for a month, and my address 

 will then be "BrynTirion, Aber, North Wales," if you should have any 

 proofs for me to correct. 



(Glasnevin, September 12th.} I now return you the corrected 

 proofs, which I have gone over very carefully. Allow me to thank you 

 once more for your kindness in supplying the omission and for many 

 little alterations which have improved the paper. I see you have 

 altered "Richardson's" (Skua) to "Arctic." For my own part I 

 should have liked to have got rid of the ambiguous name "Arctic" 

 altogether, but I am content to leave it if you think there is no fear of 

 confusion, as I believe that Buffon's S. has usually been called 

 "Arctic." . . . Redbreasted Merganser. Will you kindly look into 

 St. John's " Highland Sports," p. 290, to see whether he can be quoted 

 for its breeding in Elginshire, and make the addition or alteration if 

 required. I am sorry to give you this trouble, but I have hardly any 

 books here. I think it will be better to leave the question of a " sum- 

 mary" until we see what can be done in the way of correction and 

 addition. . . . What I want to do now is to set about collecting some 

 data concerning Migration, and for this purpose I should like to have 

 separate copies to send out to the safest correspondents about the 

 beginning of next year, when I hope the botany of Ireland will be 

 finished, and I shall have plenty of time to spare. 



N2 



