CORRESPONDENCE 183 



time I wrote you, but have not heard from him. The bii'd was 

 about the size of Sabine's Gull. 



I had the tail of a very large Thresher Shark sent me a few 

 days ago, and heard of a very large shark being stranded at Campo- 

 bello; sent down word to know about it and heard it was a Bask- 

 ing Shark, thirty feet long and as big around as a small schooner, 

 so knew it was too large to send you in a can of alcohol. 



" I have heard from Mr. Ridgway," writes Mr. Board- 

 man on September 26, 1879, "and he says the skin I 

 sent was Gull-billed Tern as I expected. It makes a 

 bird new to my list. I had a White Heron sent me last 

 v/eek that was killed at Grand Manan and yesterday I 

 mounted a Black Guillemot in change of plumage 

 white and black. I also mounted a Coot which is quite 

 rare with us." 



During the year 1880 Mr. Boardman wrote most 

 interesting letters, extracts from some of which are repro- 

 duced. February 2 : "Since I wrote you I have had 

 some skins sent me from Indian Island, near Eastport, 

 among which was that of a Stonechat shot August 25. I 

 have heard of its being taken before but never got one, 

 this making four birds new to my list last fall, viz : 

 Ivittle Black Tern, Marsh or Gull-billed Tern, the Razor- 

 billed Shearwater and Stonechat." November 3: "I 

 secured a nice specimen of Golden Eagle on the meadows 

 at Milltown, week before last. I was out snipe shooting 

 when a big Blue Heron rose and flew a short distance, 

 then dropped as if it had been shot. In a moment the 

 eagle came like a meteor, struck the heron so as to upset 

 both birds and in the excitement I got the eagle with 

 number six shot. They are very rare with us. I never 

 got but one before this. I also got a couple of little 

 Yellow Rails and heard of one having been killed at the 



