Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1881-09-18)

</u To be read when there is nothing else to do . > Society of American Taxidermists, Rochester, New York, Sept 18 1881.

                                    Nov. 27    "

My dear Professor Ward:

    Your kindly letter of Aug 7th has just

reached me and its contents greedily absorbed. Am very glad you were not too seriously disappointed in the "Bulletin", and I am really pleased also to find that your estimate of its contents was so much like my own. I too think it lacks "meat" and I beg to inform you that Mr. Howell pigeon-holed the following short articles written ^by^ the undersigned; "Man-eating Crocodiles", "Loss of Life in India by Wild Beasts", "A Great Ornithological Work", (Hume's Survey of </s the > British India) and a notice of Davidson's new method of mounting fish. The Latter was sat upon by Howell, Lucas & Baker because in it I said " -Still we cannot help thinking it a pity that so good an idea should be hedged in by patent laws." Mr Howell was </u very > firm in saying "that ought </s go > not go in!" for fear Mr Davidson might not like it, and I was disgusted at his lack of spirit. (N.B. Mr Davidson was here a month ago, and in the course of a </u very > pleasant conversation I said to him what is above. Instead of being offended he said "Well, I really didn't think myself it was quite the thing to do to get that patented, by my friends urged it to strongly I finally consented to do it.")

    Now I am in favor of making that paper lively,

</u spicy >, and even audacious at times perhaps to stir people up and </u compel > an interest in it. I claim that it has a right to speak his mind, to take a position, and pitch into anything which is wrong.