18.55] " Bar tram's Sandpiper" again. 69 



hope you will think proper to make due announcement in the " Zoolo- 

 gist." It would be almost too malicious to suggest what a fine oppor- 

 tunity you would thus have of telling your little story, how you found 

 the former specimen all but condemned to the Trinity Hall cook ! 



You will see I am addressing you at Cambridge, taking it for 

 granted that you are once more located in the classic shades of Mag- 

 dalene. I hope you will have a pleasant term of it. At all events there 

 will be none of that pinching cold that we experienced last term, and I 

 dare say the Nightingales are to be heard with you about the Botanic 

 Garden. Here they have not shown themselves as yet. Neither has a 

 single Swallow been noticed. 



Have you been elected one of the illustrious " Rays " yet ? I think 

 I must have been extinguished by this time ; as you know, I volunteered 

 to resign to make room. I hope you will remind Babington of your 

 existence by calling on him early. 



RYDE, May i$th, 1855. 



MY DEAR NEWTON, I hope you will be able to sympathise with 



me on the unfortunate result* of 's first attempt at Ornithology, 



while at the same time I am not sorry for the opportunity you have 

 afforded me of expressing to you my very best thanks for your most 

 generous and disinterested offer which, however, I never could have 

 thought of accepting. The event can make no difference in my appre- 

 ciation of your kindness, while I can only regret I have not really the 

 opportunity of leaving a "genuine " Bartram in your hands. 



This case only shows how unsafe it is to- place any reliance in an 

 unscientific person. ... I was indeed surprised to hear your verdict. 



I was very much amused at your jest about the " voluminous train" 

 of the Long-tailed Duck. No doubt your conjecture is correct. New- 

 man, who delights in orderly Systems of Nature, could never admit 

 anything so irregular to disturb the harmony of the List. I have done 

 but little about the Penguin, as I only saw my friend for a few minutes 

 a week ago. He tells me, however, that the skin was picked up from 

 some small vessel in Australia, and that the sailors do not think it 

 worth while to bring home the eggs, preferring to eat them when they 

 can find them. Hence, I fear there is not much to be made out of this ; 

 but I will make yet further inquiries if you like, and get a rough 

 description of the bird, as I do not know the species of this genus at 

 all. 



A Hoopoe occurred here about the end of March. I think the Isle 

 of Wight is a sure find for them every year, and doubtless some might 

 breed were they not systematically shot down. It is curious they seem 

 to prefer certain spots : for instance, at Sea View, near here, they 

 appear about the same haunts. The autumn, too, often affords 



The supposed " Bartram " turned out to be a Greenshank. 



