410 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



(Here I may take the opportunity of acknowledging the 

 assistance afforded to us in a little pocket guide published 

 by the British Association ' Notes and Queries on 

 Anthropology' during our observations of the Samo- 

 yedes and their chooms and Reindeer. It tells the 

 traveller what to observe and how to observe.) 



Could ornithologists in the field procure some like 

 assistance, it would be invaluable as regards the identi- 

 fication of closely-allied species. No knowledge on the 

 collector's part should be taken for granted, nor on the 

 part of those who are not alike gifted with as retentive 

 memories as a Blythe, nor can serve in themselves as 

 walking dictionaries of even their favourite science. 

 What we want we ourselves and field-naturalists 

 generally is a handy volume of clear but compressed 

 descriptions of closely-allied species, with exact coloured 

 representations of those parts of the birds which will 

 most clearly and distinctly lead to the identification in 

 the field. 



For the above sketch of a Hooper in my journal I am 

 indebted to Seebohm. 



To-day a male and female House Sparrow made their 

 appearance, and were seen busily feeding on the top of 

 one of the log-huts as if just after migration. I fired at 



