10 CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL 



I think you have made some mistake as to the arrival 

 of the Hirundinidcp, at Elden.* You have written to me 

 that both Swallow and House Martin arrived at Elden 

 on April 4. 



May I be allowed to say you have never before 

 mentioned on what day the Grow nidificated, and there- 

 fore I don't see how you can have written it to 'me 

 500,000,000,003 times. You never have said whether you 

 have a hooded crow's claw for me, if not, do you know of 

 any old one, as I have not got one ? The Redbacked 

 Shrike arrived this morning. 



I have been to the Dyke. I found a redbreast's nest 

 with 5 eggs, I took one. Malcolm found a pheasant's, 

 which of course we cribbed.' This is " en particulier." 

 I went to try to get a Longtailed tit's egg for Reynolds 

 but alas ! ! ! — — I bought a female wryneck alive to-day 

 for 6d. She is very tame, sits on my finger and runs ants 

 thro' with her long tongue. She has been caught only 

 two days. The boy won't tell me how he caught her I 

 really can't write any more, I will write to my sisters 

 to-morrow. 



Believe me. 



Dearest Edward, 



Yr. most afEecte. brother, 

 Alfred. 



The letter is illustrated with an admirable sketch of 

 the wryneck sitting on his finger and eating ants. 



In 1846 he went for a few months to a tutor, the 

 Rev. Joseph Homer, vicar of Everton, near Biggleswade 

 in Bedforcishire, and in October, 1848, he entered as a 

 pensioner at Magdalene College, Cambridge. 



* Elveden used to be pronounced Elden. 



