NOTICES OF ESSEX ORNITHOLOGISTS. 15
The first letter of the series, written in a rather irregular, though
legible, handwriting, is here given as a fair sample of those which
follow:—
" Epping, 8th mo., 30th, 1831.
" My Dear Sir,
" In the first place I must return thee my sincere thanks for the polite
attention paid to my brother during his short stop at Carlisle, and also for thy
kind offer to assist me in my ornithological pursuits.
" For the last three years I have devoted nearly all my leisure time to ornitho-
logy and entomology, and considering that my time is often closely occupied with
other affairs, I have made considerable progress, particularly in birds, as thee
will see by the annexed list of those I possess,* nearly all of which I have pre-
served myself. I have added the arrival of the summer birds at Epping [see p.
38], as I thought it would be interesting to thee to compare it with their ar-
rival in your neighbourhood, as you have most of them in the north. In the
account of them [i.e., the summer birds of passage at Carlisle] published in the
Philosophical Magazine[vol. viii., 1830, p. 444] (which has greatly pleased me) I
do not see the Chiff-Chaff mentioned. Do you not have it ? It is very common
here. * * * I find more difficulty in procuring the Hawks than anything else, as
the forest-keepers have almost exterminated them here and we see nothing but a
solitary Kestrel and Sparrow-hawk—and even these but rarely. * * » The Water
Ouzel, Dotterel, and, indeed, any others not in the list, I should be very glad of;
and as I have been thus free in stating my wants, I hope thee will be equally free
in stating thine, as nothing would give me greater pleasure than supplying thee
with either birds or insects. At present I do not know what to offer, but if a male
Garganey would be of any use to thee it is quite at thy service. I procured and
stuffed it about three months since and it is in very fine plumage.
" I have succeeded well in my attempts to keep the summer warblers alive in
confinement and have now four beautiful male Nightingales, three Blackcaps, two
Greater Pettychaps, one Common Whitethroat and one Lesser Whitethroat. They
have now just done moulting and are coming into song. They are in beautiful
plumage and in the most perfect health, and will sing all through the winter if kept
sufficiently warm. * * *
" I do not think Selby's arrangements of the birds good; nor do I think he
has genera enough. In many instances I prefer the genera as given in Dr. Flem-
ing's work, though some of his are not natural. Genera, to be good, ought to be
distinguishable at first sight, and artificial ones are good for nothing. * * « I am
a strong advocate for the foundation of genera, founded on the consideration of
every habit and character, instead of having a heterogeneous mass lumped together
with a generic name.
" The change of plumage in birds is another subject in which I feel a great in-
terest. * * * [After some remarks upon this and other subjects, containing allu-
sions to Mr. Yarrell which show that he was then in correspondence with him,
the letter closes.]
" Believe me to be,
" Very respectfully thine,
" Henry Doubleday."
* One hundred and fifty-three species.