16
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
From this letter, written when Doubleday was only twenty-three
years of age, we may gather that he had taken up the study of
natural history some three years earlier, namely, in 1829, when
only about twenty ; that he had worked with such energy that he had
actually no less than 153 species of stuffed birds in his collection;
and that he was already in correspondence with Yarrell. In the
following January, he speaks of " my friend Hewitson," and about
the same time he mentions Newman.
On November 2nd, 1831, he writes :—
" I have paid considerable attention to the eggs and nests of birds, and have
the eggs of most of those which breed in this neighbourhood. * * *
" In a neighbourhood like this, covered for miles with forest, the summer
warblers are likely to be numerous, and the Nightingale comes over in great num-
bers, but are much thinned by the London birdcatchers. The three Willow-
Wrens, the two Whitethroats, the Blackcap and Pettychaps are very com-
mon. * * * " With regard to the arrival of the birds, I am very particular,
never trusting to any one who has not a thorough knowledge of the bird."
On January 19th, 1832, he says :—
" My Nightingales and Blackcaps now sing most delightfully all day long and
the Greater Pettychaps also sings occasionally."
On February 13th, 1836, he again says :—
" My Nightingales are now singing delightfully."
In February, 1832, he gives expression to this dictum :—
" Every person has clearly a right to his own opinion and I think that noth-
ing does more injury to science than one person assuming a kind of dictatorship
and expecting everybody to bow to his decision."
On June 17th, 1833, he writes :—
" I possess about 216 skins of British birds."
Not long after, when Heysham had evidently paid him a well
deserved compliment upon his skill as a taxidermist, he writes
(August 3rd, 1834) :—
" I am sure you praise my efforts at setting up birds far too highly. * » * I
have done the best I could, but it often happens that business interrupts me when
I am about a bird and I have to leave it for an hour or two. * * * You must
recollect I am perfectly self-taught."
The spring of 1836 seems to have been unusually cold and late.
On July 14th, Doubleday writes :—
" I think on the whole the summer birds are very thin this year. Some
species, I am sure, have not appeared in half their usual numbers here, particu-
larly the Whinchat, Nightingale and Common Whitethroat."
The following paragraph occurs in a letter dated January 24th,
1837:-