From William Yarrell 8 February 1831

Dear Sir,

The bearer of this communication to you is Mr. John Gould, the preserver of animals to the Zoological Society, who visits Cambridge to obtain subscribers to his new monthly publication of figures of beautiful and undescribed Birds from the Himalaya Mountains; and I have ventured to promise him that you or Mr Jenyns would be of any service to him in your power in furnishing him with the names and residences of Gentlemen in Cambridge sufficiently interested in general ornithology to be likely to patronise his present undertaking. I may add that Mr. Gould has been long known to, and employed by the Provost of King's College, and most of the birds in Dr Thackeray's collection were preserved by him.

Mr Leadbeater tells me he intends giving the Philo. Soc. such British Birds eggs as his duplicates will supply, not at present in your collection, and that I am to select them. To do this it is necessary I should be furnished with the catalogue of those birds eggs I formerly gave, of which I kept no copy. If the use of that, or a copy of it, can be allowed me, I will with great pleasure select from his stores such as are still desiderata with you, and Mr Gould would be the bearer of this communication to me.

When I had the pleasure of visiting you at Cambridge you very kindly offered to give me a drawing of the Spotted Flounder (P. punctatus) if you still possess the drawing and will now bestow it upon me I shall be very much obliged to you for it, and any particulars of the fish from which it was taken, as it is a rare species. I have for the last 2 or 3 years been paying all the attention to British Fishes that my leisure will afford, but have not been able to learn anything new of the punctatus.

I send you herewith two specimens of Charr from Wales for the Phil. Soc. collection, and with best respects to Mrs Henslow and Mr Jenyns and hoping you and all your family are well

I remain,

Dear Sir,

Your's very truly

Wm Yarrell