Dear Sir,

I only returned from Edin^r.—on Saturday when I found your note of 14^th. ¹ I am very glad to hear from you and take the opportunity although I cannot agree with all your views of thanking you for the Book you have given to us— I had an opportunity of hastily reading the greater part of it when lately in London, and think that I said to generl. Sabine² that Too much had been made of Galapagos and that their ornithology was not exclusively confined to them and that that peculiarity would break down still farther—³ Of the three remarkable forms belonging to these islands Geospiza, Camarhynchus & Cactornis only the Camarhynchus has been discovered on the mainland since you gave the account of the Fauna of the islands but taking the specimens brought home by yourself and figured by M^r Gould—⁴

Craxirex we look upon as Buteo borealis—Otus galapagoensis as the European & North american short Eared owl, and the American ornithologists who consider the North american bird & that found on the pacific side distinct, acknowledge the Galapago and (pacific) continental birds to be Identical—

While the Progne modesta is not distinct from p. purpurea & is recorded from Chili by Prince Bonaparte⁵

Your Book is now beside me I am reading it carefully (and I hope impartially) & will mark whatever occurs to me as ornithologically incorrect and I shall be glad to hear from you and answer any ornithological Query that I can—

believe me sincerely | Yours | W^m Jardine