266 TRIBUTES TO KNOWLEDGE, 



" Whatever may be the event, you are fighting a 

 gallant fight." l 



And again : 



' ' December 26th, 1891. 



" I beg to wish you many happy New Years for 

 yourself and all who are dear to you, not forgetting 

 our friends, the birds, for whom you are making such 

 a gallant effort. I am quite certain that the only reason 

 that you do not enlist more actual members is simply 

 idleness and want of interest, certainly not want of 

 sympathy in your object ; that you are gaining ground, 

 however, I happen to know as a fact. I am sending 

 you a duplicate copy of my Coloured Figures, in which 

 you will see, under the head of great white heron and 

 common tern, that I am doing all in my power for your 

 society. I think, in this country, some of our sea-birds 

 gulls, terns, and diving birds of various species 

 suffered more than others from the feather fashion, but 

 it has played havoc all the world over." 1 



v 

 He would have had all the world take as great an 



interest in natural history as himself, and always offered 

 the most kind and generous encouragement to those 

 who were trying to popularise it. Nowhere is this 

 better shown than in the following letters : 



1 To Mrs. Lemon, Hon. Sec. to the Society for the Protection 

 of Birds. 



2 To Mrs. Phillips. 



