27 Fairview Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. 19 May 1902
Mr. Ernst Hartert Zoological Museum Tring, England.
Dear Mr. Hartert; The two copies of "The Birds of the Orinoco Region" are at hand and are very nice indeed. Please accept my thanks for the same. I should also state that the proof copy was also received and I am using the same for numerous annotations as I expect to take it with me on the Cayenne trip later, but just at the present moment it occurs to me to enquire if you by any chance could have been mistaken in considering all three specimens of Cathartes that I secured as burrovianus? Specimens Nos. 10407 and 10486 have the colors so very diferent that it seems hardly possible that they could belong to the same species! The colors for these two specimens, I find from my notes are: eye golden brown; Feet pansy purple; bill horn white; bare skin on head and neck pansy purple except occiput and back of neck which is primrose yellow, the line between the two colors being abrupt and sharply defined. No 11099 had the eye crimson, feet and tarsi whitish and the toes dusky, bill horny white; the remaining colors of the head as indicated in the sketch which is reproduced in your article. The colors on the head in this specimen it should also be noted are not sharply defined and abrupt but for the most part blend insensibly one into another.
I will be very glad if you succeed in disponsing of my skins in duplicates. If you do not sell all, will it be asking too much for you to send me a list of the species that are still represented in the duplicate series? I think it possible that I can dispose of one or two sets here.
It is very good of you to endeavor to make arrangements for the disposal of some of the duplicates that will be received with the Cayenne collection.
Mr. Oldfield Thomas has offered me the same terms or the same prices that he paid for material from the Orinoco region.
A list of the birds known to occur in Cayenne would be of very great use to me. An accurate list brought up to date would be of very great value. I will know the majority of the Cayenne hummers before I leave here.
Sincerely yours Geo.K.Cherrie
