APPENDIX II 297 



December 26 1 'h. Young Walter Swaysland called in the evening to 

 tell me that he had a dark-breasted variety of barn-owl (Strix flammea) 

 brought in alive. I had a long ornithological chat with him. 



December 2*]th. Swaysland has a good many live birds in a com- 

 partment at the end of the pier below the platform, which, in spite 

 of very limited space, seem to flourish. I bought a pair of mealy 

 red-polls (Linota linaria). 



December zqth. Colonel Verner showed me a cinnamon 

 greenfinch and cinnamon linnet, a red-breasted thrush (Turdus 

 migratorius), nightingale, blackcap, and other birds. He went with 

 us to see Booth's collection of stuffed British birds in the Dyke 

 Road. It is a very fine one, most of the birds admirably well 

 stuffed and mounted. His cases of golden (Aquila fulva) and 

 white-tailed eagles (Aquila albicilld) especially are beautiful. Booth 

 has a lot of gannets (Sula bassana) alive in his garden, one of which 

 was bred there this year. G. Hunt tells of a bird seen at 

 Wadenhoe by Quincey, which sounds more like a nutcracker 

 (Nutifraga caryocatactes) than anything else. 



December 30^. Received and corrected proofs of a fresh 

 small portion of my notes on Northamptonshire birds for the 

 Journal of our Natural History Society. 



LONDON 



January yd, 1882. Went back to Den and found a large 

 concourse of ornithologists. Seebohm showed us some beautiful 

 skins from Astrachan and Siberia; one of the most interesting was 

 a flamingo (Ph&nicopterus antiquoruni) in down, from the Caspian. 

 He also showed some beautiful specimens of the little partridge 

 (Perdix barbatus) from North China. 



January zbth. My remaining butcher-bird died. Discovered 

 an egg of glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) amongst those received 

 in the last box from Manuel of Coria. It was not mentioned 

 in Ruiz's invoice and I had overlooked it, but old Manuel 

 mentioned it in a letter received a few days ago. It was taken in 

 the marisma. 



