252 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



to bring out a work on the Eggs of the Birds of Europe, 

 as a companion work to the Birds of Europe." In 

 the letter from Mr, Dresser from which extracts have 

 already been made he says : "I have moved to London 

 as my wife disliked the country ; but I have kept the 

 old place in Kent and hope some day to return there. 

 Here I see all my naturalist friends and have just had 

 Styan and Rechett, the explorers in China, and Selores 

 the ' mighty hunter ' in Africa spending the afternoon 

 with me, and to-morrow Eesse, the Abyssinian explorer 

 and naturalist, is coming to stay for a few days with 

 me." 



The more than seventy letters addressed to Mr. Board- 

 man by Mr. Dresser during the ten years of their cor- 

 respondence are most entertaining and important. They 

 cover a wide range of subjects in bird life and all are 

 worthy of publication. They are sufl&cient to make an 

 entire volume which would be one of deep interest and of 

 scientific value. The few printed show Mr. Dresser's 

 charming style and his entertaining way of writing. 



Letters from Henry E. Dresser^ London, Eng., to Mr. 



Boardman 



London, the 10th June, 1865. 

 Dear Boardman : 



I received your kind note of the 19th May and am delighted 

 to see from it that the eggs of M. cucullatus have again been 

 found by you. They are indeed a treasure for any collector as I 

 don't know of any one who has thoroughly authentic specimens 

 over here. I am still unable to find any vessel going to St. John 

 or anywhere near you and don't want, if avoidable, to send to New 

 York as the smashes might not be few sending that way. I look 

 every week at our Lloyds list of ships leaving and don't see one 



