Dr TOWNSEND’S collection was at Philadelphia; my anxiety to examine his specimens was extreme; and I therefore, bidding farewell to my Boston friends, hurried off to New York, where, in a week, I added eighteen names to my list of subscribers, in obtaining which I was materially aided by my brother-in-law. Once more my son and I reached Philadelphia, where at once we placed ourselves under the roof of my ever staunch and true friend RICHARD HARLAN, Esq., M. D., with whom we remained several weeks. Soon after my arrival, I called on my learned friend Dr CHARLES PICKERING, formed the desired acquaintance of an enthusiastic young ornithologist, JAMES TRUDEAU, Esq., and met my firm friend EDWARD HARRIS, Esq. Having obtained access to the collection sent by Dr TOWNSEND, I turned over and over the new and rare species; but he was absent at Fort Vancouver, on the shores of the Columbia River; THOMAS NUTTALL had not yet come from Boston, and loud murmurs were uttered by the _soi-disant_ friends of science, who objected to my seeing, much less portraying and describing those valuable relics of birds, many of which had not yet been introduced into our Fauna. The traveller’s appetite is much increased by the knowledge of the distance which he has to tramp before he can obtain a meal; and with me the desire of obtaining the specimens in question increased in proportion to the difficulties that presented themselves. Having ascertained the names of the persons best able or most willing to assist me on this occasion, and aided by THOMAS NUTTALL, who had now arrived, Drs PICKERING, HARLAN, S. G. MORTON, Secretary to the Academy of Natural Sciences, M’MURTRIE, TRUDEAU, and above all my friend EDWARD HARRIS, who offered to pay for them with the view of presenting them to me, I at length succeeded. It was agreed that I might _purchase duplicates, provided_ the specific names agreed upon by Mr NUTTALL and myself were published in Dr TOWNSEND’S name. This latter part of the affair was perfectly congenial to my feelings, as I have seldom cared much about priority in the naming of species. I therefore paid for the skins which I received, and have now published such as proved to be new, according to my promise. But, let me assure you, Reader, that seldom, if ever in my life, have I felt more disgusted with the conduct of any opponents of mine, than I was with the unfriendly boasters of their zeal for the advancement of ornithological science, who at the time existed in the fair city of Philadelphia.