258 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



I have Kiider's box at last and opened it but find the ej;gs 

 very badly blown and many broken. What a pity that he does 

 not get decently prepared specimens for most of those he sends 

 are quite useless for exchanging and moreover he gives no par- 

 ticulars whatever with them. 



I wish you could put me in correspondence with some one 

 from whom I could get good blown specimens of eggs v/ith par- 

 ticulars of locality, etc. I Avould do a big exchanging trade and 

 we should mutually benefit each other. There are so many eggs 

 I want that are by no means rare in the United States and I can 

 send lots of Greenland eggs in exchange. I get a few good eggs 

 every now and again from Hepburn of San Francisco, but of 

 course only of western birds. What a mess they are in in Spain at 

 present I I was expecting a lot of birds' eggs from there but I 

 suppose under existing circumstances they will not turn up. 

 People over there have something else to do just now besides 

 attending to birds' eggs. 



I see what you say about your son's wedding, and though I 

 don't know him i^lease ofier him my congratulations. There have 

 been lots of weddings over here also lately, quite an epidemic 

 amongst my own friends and I have seen three "bird" men, 

 friends of mine, turned off into matrimony during the last two 

 months and two more intend to follow suit before the end of the 

 year. I only hope their wives won't keep them from attending to 

 ornithology. 



Speaking about horns, I am trying to get some from Bombay 

 where my second brother is fixed for some j-ears to come at least. 

 He has a capital place, being now assistant engineer ou the gov- 

 ernment harbor works there, and as the climate agrees with liim 

 and he has prospect of quick promotion he has fixed to make his 

 home out there. It is a pity he cannot skin birds for as he has 

 quite a large body of men under him he might often get good 

 things, the more so as he is taking soundings off the river and has 

 the entire use of a government yacht. 



Joe joins in kind regards and believe me, 



Yours truly, 



H. E. Dkesser. 



