268 TRIBUTES TO KNOWLEDGE, 



and in 1868 gave him to an old lady in the neigh- 

 bourhood, who loved and cherished him as a joy for 

 ever, till her death, last year, when the bird was sent 

 back to me by the executors, and now rejoices the heart 

 of our housekeeper. I read your papers in Cornhill with 

 delight, and should like to look at them again." a 



"February iStA, 1895. 



"I have had an interesting present from a bird- 

 stuffer at Northampton, in the shape of a living bullfinch,, 

 jet black, a very cheery little person, full of importance, 

 and singing his natural notes all day long. I have seen 

 many a so-called * black ' bullfinch, but they were all 

 simply dark-coloured, sooty, or dingy red brown, but 

 this one is absolutely as black as good coal, without a 

 feather of any other tint." 2 



"January ^ist, 1895. 



" I only write to thank you greatly for your little 

 book just received, in which I have no doubt of finding 

 very great interest. We have intense cold, and the 

 poor birds are having a real bad time. The following 

 species crowd for our scraps on the terrace beneath our 

 windows : rook, jackdaw, starling, blackbird, song thrush, 

 missel thrush, robin, hedge-sparrow, nuthatch, chaffinch 

 sparrow, great tit, coal tit, marsh tit, and partridge." K 



1 To Mrs. Owen Visger. 



2 To the same. 

 ? To the same. 



