Cambridge, December 23, 1900. 
Dear Hyatt, 
At the time of buying from Maynard the birds supposed to be 
the types of Wilson's plates and descriptions I called Eatchelder's at¬ 
tention to them and told him that I thought they ought to*go bach into 
the possession of the Eoston Society adding that should the Society 
wish to recover them I should feel it my duty to let them go. He ex¬ 
pressed strong disbelief in their being Wilson's types but promised to 
think the matter over and to make further investigations. When Witmor 
Stone was here last month he examined the birds and pronounced them to 
be almost without question Wilson's "types." Outram Bangs thinks that 
Maynard has a few more which are also "types." I would suggest that 
steps be at once taken to recover the latter. As for the specimens in 
my possession it will give me real pleasure to restore them to the So¬ 
ciety but I shall give Batchelder the opportunity to personally reim¬ 
burse me for the money I paid, viz.about $2.50 per bird. I may possibly 
&■ 
retain one of the specimens during my lifetime as an example of Pe/le's 
interesting handiwork, arranging to have it go bock to the Society at my 
death. I am truly sorry both for the Society's and Eatchelder's sake 
that this matter has occurred but I think it should be regarded as an 
oversight merely. 
Yours sincerely, 
(signed) 
William Brewster. 
