Transcribe Hardy, Manly. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1876-03-20)

[page 2] several Fox last year in patches of ? & white like a Jersey calf - Occasionally a brown Bear exactly like the Rocky mountain ? or Issabella Bear - I wish that as the result of the labours ^of yourself^ & others in natural history that the ? of wild animals might be improved, for it is rarely one sees a picture which is not a caricature - and while the most minute forms of life are accurately described very few if any of our writers show any knowledge of the habits of Beaver - Lynx - Fisher etc. Having spent a life time in observing these animals, and comparing my observations with that of others, I often feel pained to see such ridiculous stories told of them, as many of our writers see C. H. Stephens in Forth Company for instance, and to find that most of the descriptions in what pretend to be accurate descriptions in works of natural history, are mere fiction. They describe the animal accurately as seen dead or in captivity bur never take pains to observe the real animal or get any reliable information about them - Hurst's pictures I hope will do a good work. though his Beaver are wholy wrong - Please excuse this but I wish the habits of animals were better understood. Very trly M Hardy Left margin Hand change Hardy M. Mar. 76.

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