xii BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



brother, residing in Buenos Ayres. In acknowledg- 

 ing the book he charged his brother with a message 

 to me, and his letter, written in Spanish, was sent 

 on to me in London* The message, translated, was 

 as follows : 



4 Why are you staying on in England, and what 

 can you do there t I have looked at your romance 

 and find it not unreadable, but this you must know 

 is not your line the one thing you are best fitted 

 to do. Gome back to your own country and come 

 to me here in Cordova. These woods and sierras 

 and rivers have a more plentiful and interesting 

 bird life than that of the pampas and Patagonia. 

 Here I could help you and make it possible for you 

 to dedicate your whole time to observation of the 

 native birds and the fauna generally/' 



I read the letter with a pang, feeling that his 

 judgment was right : but the message came too late ; 

 I had already made my choice, which was to remain 

 for the rest of my life in this country of my ancestors, 

 which had become mine. 



Now after so long a time the pang returns, and 

 when I think of that land so rich in bird life, those 

 fresher woods and newer pastures where I might 

 have done so much, and then look back at this 

 the little I did as shown in these volumes the 

 reflection is forced on me that, after all, I probably 

 made choice of the wrong road of the two then 

 open to me, 



W. H. H. 



October, 1920. 



