CORRESPONDENCE 227 



interest to bird-lovers, they are taken up to considerable 

 extent with matters of friendship. They are always 

 planning exchanges of birds and eggs which neither 

 does not have and are ever on the lookout for rare things 

 for each other. Dr. Wood is complaining of the Natur- 

 alist because it does not contain more about real natural 

 history and less of the hobbies of the editors ; while 

 Mr. Boardman praises Forest and Stream, the Nuttall 

 Bulletin, " no horse, dog or fish in it," and the English 

 bird journal, The Ibis, saying ' ' it pays well and we should 

 be able to support a bird paper on this side." His friend 

 has many complaints of the Smithsonian people because 

 they do not pay better in exchanges for good things sent 

 them and for their tardiness in sending promised speci- 

 mens, while Mr. Boardman is true in his friendship for 

 them, always has good excuses and apologies, tells how 

 much they have to do, what a hurry they are always in 

 and that they will finally make exchanges satisfactorily, 

 ' * but of course the large museums and the big collectors 

 must be attended to first." Boxes of exchanges are con- 

 stantly being sent between them. They tell each other 

 of their losses, their unfortunate investments and their 

 plans for the future. " If I ever get enough ahead to 

 bid good-by to pills and physic and devote my time to 

 natural history you will see one happy man who will 

 some day turn up somewhere near Milltown, N. B.," 

 writes Dr. Wood ; while in a letter of July 31, 1882, he 

 says : "I wish I had the time and means to travel about 

 and enjoy life as you do. I intended to give up practice 

 at sixty and devote the remainder of my days to following 

 my favorite pursuits and seeing my ornithological friends 

 a desire I have looked forward to with a great deal of 



