138 John Kaclnnan. 



and staunch as a rock, in fact, she runs like the wind 

 and outdoes herself. 



Do try to keep, at least, a pair of pigeons for me, 

 I greatly long for them. Dr. Wilson and sister 

 Maria, have several elegant mocking-birds for you. 

 I hope that, by this time, you have received a list 

 of the birds collected for you. 



I am not surprised at your having gone to Philadel- 

 phia. Who could help it, when a dozen new birds 

 were in the way ? Several are already published by 

 Wilson, Cooper and Swainson; these surely, you will 

 be allowed to figure you did the same for Wilson. 

 The new birds, they will probably describe in some 

 Journal all this is fair. But after that, surely, they 

 will let you figure them. 



Capt. Day is on the Florida coast. I gave him 

 your large gun and a keg of whisk ey, to put up 

 specimens. Dr. Leitner is among the " Keys." I 

 gave him my own gun and whiskey for specimens. 



With regard to Florida, nothing will be done by 

 Naturalists for at least two years. Your Indian 

 friends, the cut-throats, have scalped almost every 

 woman and child south of St. Augustine, save those 

 on Key West. They have burnt and plundered 

 every plantation ; and although they will probably 

 be, in a great measure, put down next Winter, yet 

 there will, undoubtedly, remain many small preda- 

 tory bands that would make no bones of scalping 

 an Ornithologist secundum artem ; and would ask no 

 questions whether he was the friend or enemy of 

 William Penn. Of Texas, I think better; and 

 thither, or along its borders, you may, I think, 

 venture for the Texans are our friends. I suppose 

 Genl. Gaines will keep the Comanches quiet. 



Now for the health of the city. We are very 

 anxious about the Cholera. We know not what a 

 night may bring forth. I will defer until to-mor- 



