Darwin Correspondence Project

Down, Beckenham, Kent. S.E.

May 20.

My dear Sir

I feel that I have a sort of prescriptive right to bother you for information. Mr. Gould told me that male nightingales immigrate before the females; and that he had ascertained this was the case with the snipe and he believed that it was general with migratory Birds. Do you know anything on this head? There is a man in or near Brighton, who sometimes writes in the Ibis, and who I imagine may be a bird-stuffer, and who seems to have paid special attention to migratory Birds. Do you know to whom I refer, for if I could discover his name and address, I would write to him, supposing that you are not able to give me information on this head. I fear that the migratory birds are not largely caught by the Bird-catchers; and the South coast would be the best place for observation

Believe me, my dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I could no doubt find out the Brighton man's address through Sclater.