Letter received by Banks from Marmaduke Tunstall, 28 June1785 (Series 72.187) - No. 0002

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up at last by a very clever hand, the principal Man of Sr Ashton Lever's, who came down with my museum, it makes a very indifferent figure, such as it is, I am happy to send it you, the fine yellow on the back, if caught near London would have almost made me suspect it to have been a mule between a chaffinch & Jonquil Canary bird, tho' highly improbable here; think it undoubtedly a fringilla & pretty certainly the Chaffinch, which is frequent subject to variations, one is described in Albin Vol 2 pl: 22 which has I think been unaccountably called an Emberiza & supposed a variety of the nivalis or snow bunting or Molan by Buffon vol sp 335 & since copied as such by Mr. Latham vol 1 pt. 1st p 165;  to me there seems not the best reason to deem it on Emberiza;  remmember [remember] when in Paris in 1762, tho' then very young, being ever passionately fond of ornithology, I remarked frequently in an adjoining garden a chaffinch nearly quite White.  Mr Vane is not at resent in the Country, tho' expected soon, or I would have sent to him for more queries; believe he is at his apartments by Chelsea Hospital, which he has as deputy Treasurer, am confident he would be happy to