392 Alexander Goodman More. [i894 



discouraged about the Circumpolar Fauna paper I am sure 



that much more can be done in England than you think. It is too good 

 a subject to let it fall into someone else's hands. When you are in 

 Brunswick don't forget the Irish Hare ; and try to bring back some of 

 the South Swedish, as well as the Norwegian forms. 



A reminder of spring which had become as constant as 

 the Dog-Show reached him from Achill. 



March 6th, 1894. 



DEAR MR. SHERIDAN, Thank you very much for the Mediterranean 

 heath which you so kindly sent. It arrived in excellent order, and 

 makes quite an ornament to the room at this season, when flowers are so 

 scarce. As you remark, the bloom is not nearly so large as what you 

 sent me last year. I am glad to hear that you have recovered so well 

 from the influenza. It is a very disabling complaint. For myself, I am 

 fairly well, and shall be always glad to examine any specimens you may 

 think worth sending. I am sorry to hear the flippers of your Dolphin 



have been lost At any rate the skull is well worth having, 



and I think you might offer it to the Cambridge Museum. I now 

 return you the drawing you made, and I think there is no doubt 

 it is the White-sided Dolphin. Several other specimens occurred 

 off the British coast last year. Still it is a rare species, and 

 when you have heard the opinion from Cambridge I think you 

 should send a notice to the "Irish Naturalist," as yours seems to 

 be the third Irish specimen. I will look at your Crossbill some day 

 when I go into Dublin. These birds scatter in all directions, and there 

 is nothing remarkable in their occurring in the west more than else- 

 where ; only they are attracted, no doubt, to any locality where there 

 are many fir-trees planted. The Parrot Crossbill was obtained in many 

 parts of Ireland these last few years. Hoping that you will soon have 

 something rare to write about. By the way, could not you colour the 

 drawings you so often make ? A box of colours, either in hard squares 

 or in soft colours, are to be had for is. (the Society of Arts pattern), and 

 would do perfectly well, and make it much easier to name the drawings. 

 Shall I send you a box, and would you prefer soft or hard ? 



(April idth, 1894.} I was glad to see some of your rare birds pub- 

 lished in the " Zoologist," and I hope you will soon meet with some 

 more. I wish just to call your notice to a slight mistake about the 

 Surf Scoter, where you say that yours is the eighth specimen. It is much 

 rarer than that in Ireland, for I make out yours to be only the 

 fourth. You have, I think, the 2nd edition of my Bird List, in which 

 three are mentioned, and yours is the only one since, that I know of. 

 I think that if you can refer to my letter you will find I did not say 

 eighth. But likely you may have trusted to memory. About the King 

 Eider, I wish you had mentioned that the last obtained in Ireland was 

 in 1850 actually more than forty years ago. . . . My own health is 



