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With respect to specific details, all I can find so far (in Tolkien's letters) is the confusion concerning the feather, as noted already. Tom's 'peacock feather' belonged to an old draft, and the typescript given to P. B. had this, while the artist knew that the version in the galley-proofs had 'swan-wing' feather. Tolkien explained in part:
'As far as you are concerned peacocks are out. A swan-feather in the first poem; and a blue one after the kingfisher incident.'
Tolkien also noted that only the galleys are reliable, and: 'For instance, in the altercation with the kingfisher, I found that no variety likely to be in our parts of the world has a scarlet crest. (Scarlet breasts are more likely though ones I know are pinkish.)'
So this is in reaction to a question Pauline Baynes had about the poem, due to somewhat different versions existing.
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