CORRESPONDENCE 279 



good sport, having killed seven moose, a caribou and a 

 bear — a fair variety for a couple of weeks." 



Letters from D. G. Elliot to Mr. Boardman 



Oyster Bay, 4th Aug., 1866. 

 My Deau Sir: 



Your favor of 31st July is received aud I am much obliged for 

 the trouble that you are taking for me. Will you tell me whether 

 at either of the places you mentioned we are likely to have any fish- 

 ing, and if we had better bring rods. I shall probably be accom- 

 panied by two friends, Mr. Newbold, a brother-in-law of Mr. 

 Lawrence whom you know, and W. J. Hays, the artist. We 

 would like to know the best time to start and the route, and also 

 any hints about the requisite amount of greenbacks to bring. 

 Do they pass in Nova Scotia? Can you give me any account of 

 the habits, nesting, etc., of the Goshawk and Broad- winged 

 Hawk? I should like very much to meet you and have a talk 

 about birds, when neither of us would be in a hurry, which unfor- 

 tunately has generally been the case in the city. I am somewhat 

 surprised about what you say of the change in plumage of the 

 Black Guillemot. I have obtained them in the Orkney Islands in 

 the black plumage, also in change aud pure white, and they all 

 seemed to be old birds, and I have never heard of the adults hav- 

 ing been obtained jet black during the winter. If it is always 

 the case in your vicinity it is certainly well worthy of being 

 recorded. Hoping to hear from you again shortly and seeing 

 you at no distant time, believe me 



Yours very truly, 



D. G. Elliot. 



P. S. Will it be advisable to bring any kind of provisions for 

 the woods? I always take a box of knick-knacks along when I go 

 after deer in the north of this state. 



Oyster Bay, L. I., 17th Aug., 1866. 

 My Dear Boardman: 



Yours of the 9th inst. is at hand. I should like to have gone 

 with you on your excursion after the ducks, etc., and hope you 

 were successful. Can you not manage to get a specimen for me 



