I am glad that you should have seen what you conceive to be the great rara avis F. Washingtonii. I am sorry you could not have pocketed it, but who knows if it is not left yet in store for you—and I to shoot a pair of these noble birds at The West, and that, after having satisfactorily examined its habits, its eggs, or its young! _Bonaparte_, between you and I, is exceedingly ignorant as regards our birds, as I found to my cost when he was in London, and where he pumped me sadly too much, but it is now over and I forgive him as I do all others who have or who _may_ try to injure me. John Bachman wrote to me that he had left in commission to Trudeau, the purchase for me of a copy of Vieillot's Oiseaux de l'Amérique Septentrionale, and also a copy of Boié or Bojé work[154] on birds generally, but I have received neither books or promises of them from Trudeau as yet, perhaps you would undertake the task yourself, and show to Havell as soon as possible, for I shall be sadly in want of them in a few weeks more. I should also like you to try to find Mr. Augustus Thorndike of Boston, to whom Victor wrote a few days ago, with the view to inquire from that Gentleman when he wished _his_ copy of the Birds of America to be delivered. Victor addressed his letter to "his Hotel" or to the care of the "American Embassy." We are not sure, however, whether he is in Paris at present, and let me know what discoveries you have made as regards this.—Victor will remain ten days in London and wishes you, should you write to him there, to put your letter _under cover_ to _Havell_ and request him to _keep_ it. Victor will write you from thence. I cannot account why Trudeau has not written to me in answer to my last, now full two months old? Should you _perchance_ discover a specimen of the Bird of Washington in Paris and purchase the same, I should like you to send it to me _on loan_ to enable me to compare it with mine, and the Immature of the _F. Albicilla of Europe_! I have got twelve sheets of the 5th. Vol. of Biographies already printed, and I expect to have quite finished by the 1st. of April next. I have decided on the _Trichas_ resembling _Sylvia Philadelphia_ of Wilson. It is a distinct species, but what will probably surprise you more, the _S. Agilis_ of the same author is also perfectly distinct from either. All this you will plainly see when you read their separate descriptions and compare the three species.