1867] Correspondence with Mr. Harvie-Brown. 199 



= when the numbers are about the same at both seasons ; 



o when none remain in winter. 



Lhave already a good number of such lists, but none as yet from 

 Scotland, except from Caithness. I have some idea of asking 1 Mr. 

 Newman to reprint my Paper on Distribution of Birds in the Zoologist. 

 Do you think it would be worth while ? 



Mr. Harvie-Brown replied : " Your paper on the dis- 

 tribution of our birds I consider a most valuable paper, 

 and I really think you ought at once to give it a wider 

 circulation. It, along with your data on the migratory 

 habits of our birds, would form a volume which would be 

 perfectly necessary in every ornithological library. Would 

 it not be a better plan to publish them together in a 

 separate form and not in a periodical ? " A marked list 

 was also sent, " hoping these notes and the enclosed list 

 may prove of some little use to you in your scheme, which 

 I shall impatiently await to see completed and published." 



In several further letters to Mr. Harvie-Brown the 

 re-publication question is still under discussion. 



(January idth, 1868.} In time, perhaps, my notes may become 

 sufficient for a separate work, but at present I think that the periodical 

 form gives a better chance of making additions and corrections, and 

 this would be a first object of reprinting in the Zoologist ; for a larger 

 circle of readers might make many corrections, which of course must be 

 needed in a first attempt. ... I hope the attempt at migration sta- 

 tistics may be more novel than the mere localities of the birds, but I 

 find it rather difficult to arrange the results. 



(March 26th.} I gladly return you the list of birds for any correc- 

 tion^, which you may think necessary, although I think it was already 

 so complete that it made me wish for a dozen more like it from other 

 parts of Scotland. Might I ask whether you can recommend me to any 

 trustworthy ornithologist not mentioned in my paper ? I find the 

 present inquiries even more requiring caution and accuracy than my 

 former attempt. ... I have some idea of reprinting the Bird Distribu- 

 tion as you suggest with that of the butterflies, but I think it will be 

 better to wait and see what can be done about Migration, so as to join 

 the two subjects. And there will also be required some summaries and 

 generalizations which I have not yet had time to work out properly. I 

 think, then, that together with a comparison between the animals and 

 plants, there might be enough for a small volume. I have already 

 collected a fair store of materials for the Land Mollusca ; and I think 

 it would be desirable to have all the different subjects brought 

 together. 



