New Haven, Conn. Oct. 5rd, 1938 
                                        Yale Lab. s of Primate Biology 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dear Dr. Leopold, 
 
  My friend William Vogt told me about the tentative plans for a Department

 
of Ornithology of the University of Wisconsin, and he -wrote me just a few
days 
 
ago that your attempts to promote these plans had failed up till now. lie
had 
 
told me before that the fact that I was interested in the plans hai. urged
you 
 
to make * new attempt. I want to tell you that I quite unexpectedly got word

 
from my chief in Holland that I was offered a very good position in the Uni-

 
versity of Leiden, which I was glad to accept. This makes me less inclined
to 
 
accept a position abroad than I was before, as you will understand. Therefore,

 
though I am still highly interested in the case, it might be possible that

                                 even 
I should prefer to stay in Holland/in case of an offer from your University.

                                        until 
Of course, I cannot tell anything certain/after I have returned to Holland
and 
 
have Been what my new position is like, but I feel obliged to tell you how

 
things are. I seriously hope that you will succeed in establishing an Ornitho-

 
logical Department, as bird biology could be thoroughly promoted by a trained

 
zoologist provided he is allowed to give his full energy to it. 
 
                                     With kind regards 
 
                                     Sincerely yours 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                     N.Tinbergen 
 
                                     Zoological Laboratory, University, Leiden

 
                                     63 Kaiserstraat.