18
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
As a writer, however, he was not prolific, and he never published
any other separate works. His correspondence with brother entomo-
logists, both at home and abroad, was very extensive, and his liberality
in supplying them with specimens and information was almost
unbounded. His collections both of birds and insects were, in their
day, almost unrivalled. During his later life, ornithology, to which
he had formerly given much attention, was largely neglected in favour
of entomology. He was an excellent shot, and was very skilful
as a stuffer. A considerable number of birds from Epping Forest
were presented by him to the British Museum. To him we are
indebted for first detecting in England the Little Ringed Plover,
(AEgialitis turonica), as well as the Blue-headed Wagtail (Motacilla
flava).
In 1866, he sustained a heavy pecuniary loss. For a time he
struggled on, but a crisis came in 1870. The thought of being in
debt, and of having to part with his collections, so troubled him
that for three months early in 1871 he had to be placed in "The
Retreat" at York, where the balance of his mind, upset by his anxie-
ties, was soon restored. Through the kindness of friends, his books
and his collections of lepidoptera were preserved to him, and he was
enabled to end his days in the old home, where he busied himself, as
before, with his garden and his favourite pursuits. His ornithological
collections were sold by auction, by Mr. George Hine, at the Cock
Hotel, Epping, directly opposite his house, on August 23rd, 1871,
when 173 lots, comprising 540 specimens in 288 cases, realized £275.
Among the birds disposed of were the first British Blue-headed
Wagtail, the White-winged and Parrot Crossbills shot at Epping, two
Forked-tailed Petrels from Epping and a Bittern from Coopersale, as
mentioned hereafter. Among the chief purchasers were Messrs.
Ashmead, F. Bond, W. Borrer, David Christy, J. H. Gurney, jun.,
J. E. Harting, Arthur Lister, A. H. Smee and Septimus Warner.
Henry Doubleday was never married; for nearly thirty years a
distant cousin, Ann Main by name, directed his household affairs.
He was throughout life a member of the Society of Friends. Among
scientific men at large, he cannot hold a high place; but as a
lepidopterist simply, he was, in the words of his friend, Edward New-
man, "without exception the foremost this country has produced."
To this it may be added that, as a naturalist, he was probably, with
the exception of the illustrious Ray, the most eminent this county
has ever produced. One of his latest scientific articles consisted of
some observations on "The Eggs of the Cuckoo" (34. 3472), pub-
lished in 1873: his last appeared in the Zoologist for May, 1875