PREFACE. 



so speedily acquired and has so long sustained. His 

 enthusiasm never flagged, as his frequent communications 

 in later years testify ; but his subsequent cruises in the 

 Mediterranean Sea (including three more visits to his 

 beloved Spain between 156G and 1S75), which made 

 him familiar with almost all the parts of its coast and 

 islands that were interesting to the ornithologist, and 

 extended to the shores if not the interior of Cyprus, 

 produced fewer novelties — the discovery in April 1S79 

 of the most westerly breeding-place of Audouin's Gull 

 being perhaps the chief of them. 



These cruises did not, however, occupy the whole of 

 his time. Each recurring shooting-season found him 

 in this country, exercising hospitality either in his 

 Northamptonshire home or in Scotland, where he for 

 several years hired one of the finest deer-forests ; and, 

 though often incapacitated by gout from taking to the 

 hills, he would listen with pleasure to his guests as they 

 recounted the varied events of the day's work with gun, 

 rifle, or rod ; while, whenever his own condition per- 

 mitted, lie proved himself as " game " a stalker, and as 

 successful, as if he had been in possession of the full use 

 of his limbs. 



With all this devotion to sport he never allowed it to 

 interfere with the duties to which he was called by his 

 position, and of those duties he had an exalted idea. 

 Though he had little taste for politics, he did not neglect 

 duly to appear in his place in Parliament, and it was 

 with satisfaction that he used to recall his successful 

 addition of "Owl" to the Schedule of Birds to be 



