84 Alexander Goodman More. [i856 



have the face to ask for a letter soon, after my own delay ; but I shall 

 be delighted to hear of your doings this spring whenever you can spare 

 me an hour. 



By-the-way amongst other odds and ends which I discovered the 

 other day is a skull, in tolerable condition, of the Snowy Owl ; and so, 

 if you as a craniologist care to have it, I shall be most happy to make 

 it over to your collection. 



BEMBRIDGE, October igt/i, 1856. 



MY DEAR NEWTON, It is not often that an order like yours for a 

 Cormorant could be executed at short notice, for during our many years' 

 residence here I do not remember ever getting a fair chance of a shot, 

 nor have the boatmen brought one in. But mark how favoured you are ! 

 Mr. Newton, the ornithologist, has only to mention his want, and lo ! 

 the wariest of the wary is shot the very next day. 



On Thursday I went out for a sail. It was blowing quite a fresh 

 breeze, and you may be sure that when I saw a pair of these " Isle of 

 Wight (or more aptly Old Nick's) parsons " fishing in the harbour, I 

 remembered your request and put down a couple of ounces of No. 3 in 

 the bare hope of getting within range. I had a long chase after one 

 fellow, and could not approach him, but presently in a small bay I 

 found his companion fishing close to the shore, and no great way off; so 

 with the wind right aft I bore down at full speed straight upon him . The 

 bird became uneasy and flurried ; he first swam one way, and when the 

 boat edged off so as to head him would turn back and try swimming the 

 other way, so that he lost time, and my boat being very swift was down upon 

 him in no time and penned him in between the land on both sides, and 

 the boat to windward ; thus he was compelled to rise quite close and 

 passed about forty yards off, when I had the pleasure of dropping the 

 shot right into his beam, but he only seemed a little shaken until he had 

 flown some way, when he took to the water and began to dive ; then I 

 felt sure of my friend, and when I got up to him had only to lift him into 

 the boat. The parcel was sent off this morning, and if his high game 

 flavour does not excite the cupidity or curiosity of the railway officials, 

 I hope you will receive the bird safely about Tuesday next. Please tell 

 me what sex it is ? I thought female from its size. You will, no doubt, 

 notice the faint indication of the breeding plumage just appearing on 

 the thighs. The Divers never show any marks of theirs, even in 

 February, \vith us. 



You were a little late in mentioning the Bat. Generally and in the 

 summer I can get the Serotine any evening, but I was out yesterday 

 and did not see one : they have not been so plentiful this year, but you 

 shall have the first I can get hold of. 



I asked Evans about the hare-skulls for you. He has just returned 

 from Ireland, and if he has not forgotten his promise you will probably 

 be able to place this cranium in your collection. 



