250 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. ix. 



which the Professor noted in his garden at Sheen 

 Lodge is surprising : — 



' I have entered in my garden book,' he 

 writes, ' the name of every kind of bird which I 

 have noted there, distinguishing the permanent 

 dwellers from the occasional residents, and the 

 latter according to the periods of their temporary 

 sojourn, whether to breed or to feed — in other 

 words, the summer and winter visitors. 



' The list, however, would have been incom- 

 plete without the aid of my lamented friend, 

 John Gould. It was ever with him a favourite 

 summer afternoon's holiday, after a ramble in 

 the park, to pass an hour in the garden. On 

 one of these occasions, in early June, we rested 

 on a seat overshadowed by a weeping ash, but 

 allowing a view of the lawn. Happening to 

 show him my ornithological list at that date, 

 Gould said, " You have got more birds in the 

 garden than I see here, I expect." Now he 

 possessed in a remarkable degree the faculty 

 of imitating the various notes of all our vocal 

 species. He bade us sit still and be silent ; 

 then began. After emitting a particular 

 "motivo" for a few minutes, he would quietly 

 point to a little bird which had flown from an 

 adjoining bush upon the lawn, and was there 

 hopping inquisitively to and fro, gradually 

 nearing the locality of its specific song. We 

 could then recognise the species to which Gould 



