274 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



the way down. I am sorry I did not get your letter before I left, 

 and am now afraid I cannot tell you any thing that will be very 

 satisfactory about the duck. 



I was in at Wallace's bird shop and he had just mounted the 

 duck. He asked me if I knew what it was and I could not tell 

 him, but got the bird to compare with my specimens, yet could 

 not make it out, and sent it to you, and I believe it was thought 

 to be some cross. I think Wallace said he got it from the market. 



If we had known it to have been a strange bird at the time 

 we could have followed it, but Mr. Wallace only cares to sell 

 birds, and the time has been so long he might not remember 

 about it, for about the same time I sent him a female Labrador 

 Duck to mount for your collection. When I went for the bird 

 some one had got it away from him or he had sold it and did not 

 appear to know what had become of the bird. So if this is a new 

 bird to the United States I should not care to say too much about 

 it upon the memory of Mr. Wallace. The bird appeared to have 

 been just mounted and set with a lot of whistlers and mergansers 

 and common market birds. Had I thought it to have been such a 

 stranger would certainly, at the time, have got all its history. I 

 have almost forgotten what the duck looked like, and the full 

 plumaged bird I think I never saw. I think the bird had some 

 kind of a ring about its neck, something as a young plumaged 

 Labrador Duck might have, but its bill was nothing like that of 

 the Labrador Duck. 



I intended to have made you a call when in Washington but 

 was only there a short time, and did not go to the Smithsonian. 

 I am expecting to make you a good call in the spring when we 

 return, and hope you may have the new building partly in order. 

 I see by the paper Mr. Ingersoll of the Fish Commission arrived 

 here to-day. If you think of anything I can do for you here let 

 me know and I will be on the lookout. With kind regards to all 

 the folks and wishing you the compliments of the season, 

 Yours very truly, 



Geo. A. Boakdman. 



