35O Alexander Goodman More. [i88T 



(September i^th.} A new locality for the Clinopodium is very 

 interesting-, and I hope you will find others yet. In England it is not at 

 all uncommon in the south. It will be easy to keep the locality safe 

 from exterminators, though I fear there are only too few botanists who 

 will care to gather it ..... A bottle-nose whale was lately stranded 

 near Wicklow, about 23 feet long- : they usually go in pairs if in some 

 numbers it might be the caling whale. You cannot identify a whale 

 safely until you see it ashore. The bird with red on breast and tail, 

 was it a Crossbill ? But one must be very suspicious about these 

 reported wonders, if they come under notice of those who do not know 

 much of natural history. 



(September 22nd.'} I know Mr. -- well, and he is a most careful 

 and painstaking observer. You may thoroughly trust him ; but do not 

 accept too much of the many strange tales you will hear about birds 

 from untrained people. It is easy to gather a lot of unreliable infor- 

 mation, but you must be always on your guard, people in general know 

 so little of natural history, and jump at conclusions ..... I shall be 

 curious to hear what is to be the next Bat you lay hands on, after the 

 Long-eared and Pipistrelle. Not unlikely Nattered, and, if a large 

 one, the Hairy-armed. As you have Bell's " Brit. Quadrupeds," I need 

 hardly remind you that the Shrew you will find is probably always the 

 lesser one. If you find a larger one it will be worth noting ..... 

 About Whales and Dolphins, &c., I am afraid you will do little until 

 you can examine some specimens. Any kind of Dolphin maybe called 

 rare, and they are very imperfectly known, and worth photographing if 

 you come across a fresh specimen. 



(October i8th}. I ought to have written sooner to tell you that I 

 duly received your list of localities, but I have been so busy since my 

 return to Dublin that I have not had time to look it over properly. I 

 hope it will not put you to inconvenience, and I hope to find time next 

 week ..... "Solitary Snipe": I think you may safely conclude 

 never to believe in any specimen until you have seen it. Since my list 

 was published I have seen one authentic specimen, which was sent to 

 Williams, and I believe he has stuffed another since. If people only 

 knew the right bird mistakes would not be so common. It might be 

 worth your while to obtain a skin from some of the dealers, and then 

 you will have it ready to compare, in case any " Great Snipes " should 

 be shot in Wexford. 



(November i2th.} My friend Mr. Harvie-Brown, whose name I am 

 sure you must know, is very anxious to obtain a fresh specimen of the 

 " Irish " Black Rat, and I have told him that I think you are the most 

 likely person to apply to ; so if at Christmas, when you return home, 

 you could send him a specimen of any black rat I am sure he would be 

 very much obliged to you ..... I hope the Achill Snipe will turn 

 out all right. If so it will be the third since my list was printed. Do try 

 and get a skin from London, for yourself and to show to your friends. If 



