My dear Sir,
Your letter, and also that of your son, are now before me, both received so long ago as the middle of last year—how time flies with those who are fully occupied—I reproach myself for having allowed them to remain so long unanswered—and hope my numerous avocations, which absorb my whole time, will be admitted as my excuse. I see Mr. B. Phillips every now and then, we meet only to talk about you—I have received from his hands the first 17 Nos of your smaller American Birds and like them much—as I could not afford to have the large work I make myself content with the small one, and shall be happy to receive the continuation—pray tell me to whom shall I make payment for them, shall it be to Mr. Phillips if so, let me or him know, and it shall be done immediately—I am quite of your opinion that there would be some sale for it here—if it was advertised and made known, but a commission of 10. p cent will not tempt any London Bookseller who is sufficiently known and influential to be of any service to you—I exhibited my numbers at the meetings of the Linnean and Zoological Socities and gave the loose plates between them to lay on the table, but without the name of a London Bookseller on the cover no one knows where to get the work if Desirous of buying it.
I will now answer your inquiries for English Friends. Earl Derby remains much the same—very well in health, but deprived of the use of one side entirely, limbs as well as body—unable to attend to other things, he appears to devote himself almost entirely to Zoology—Thomson his Superintendent of the Aviary is at this time in London buying some new or rare pheasants lately arrived here from China—and will have a valuable addition to the stock to take back with him—Lord Derby came to London by the Rail Road last March (1840) and Thomson tells me, his Lordship means to come up again this Spring. The Prince of Musignano now P. of Canino I hear of by report from others—He is quite well, continually publishing, and we hear that he means to visit London in the course of the present year—of Mr. Lear we hear the most satisfactory accounts—generally through Mr. Hullmandill—he is greatly improved in health and finances—a favorite with every body, patronized by all who go there—and he too, we hear, means to visit England in the course of the present year. Mr. Gould returned safe to England in August last, after an absence of two years and 8 months—Two years of the time were passed on Van Diemans land and various parts of New Holland—he did not go to New Zealand—He has brought home a very large collection of Birds, with, in many cases, the eggs and nests—He has commenced the publication of the Birds on the same scale as his Birds of Europe, but improved in execution—two parts are out: it is to be published every three months. I sent off a letter this day to your Edinburgh friend Mr. MacGillivray—he is a candidate for the Professorship of Natural History in the Marischall College of Aberdeen and wrote to ask me for a testimonial of recommendation—this was the object of my letter to him.—My second volume of the British Birds will be complete in July next, I will send it to you in one lump. Pray remember me to your good lady and thank your son Victoire for me for his letter. I hope you are all well, and with best wishes for a continuance to you of all that is good—I remain very sincerely yours
Wm. Yarrell.
J. J. Audubon Esqr
New York—
Spencer Baird and his brother, William, were soon able to announce another discovery, now well known the country over as the Least Flycatcher, and in some sections by the onomatopœic name of Chebec. In referring to it in his letter of June 21, 1841, Baird wrote:
There is one flycatcher respecting which we are in doubt, and which was very abundant this spring. It is the one we had considered M. Pusilla but a thorough examination of the Biography, has thrown doubt on this supposition, it agrees pretty well with the M. Acadica of Nuttall, but not with the Acadica, of the Synopsis. I will send you one as soon as possible, as there is no set of Plates in Carlisle to which we might refer.
In conclusion Baird added: "May we not expect to see you in Carlisle before a great while? It would give us very great pleasure indeed."
Though Audubon gladly admitted this new-found species of bird at a later day, he was not at first disposed to accept its validity, as will appear in the following interesting letter which he sent to his young friend: