Kennicott Documents

Pages That Need Review

RK-188

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Glad your house is going on prosperously you will know how to appreciate the comforts of a roomy house – There is no great satisfaction in a sick mans building. The money is paid and the thing is done but with us, in the middle walks of property, there is something more than a mere purchase, when we build we have the satisfaction of having achieved a real triumph over difficulties and we can look upon the final consumation of our long anticipated undertaking with pride as well as pleasure – I hope sometime to visit you in Your Den

I have collected a quite numerous family of Beetles and Moths during the past season but as yet have had no time to set them up or otherwise arrange them -

I will send you a list of what Eggs you have that I have not - and where you can spare me one - of each please do so – I have a great number which you have not and will exchange of course – just keep such as you may have of the following - until

Last edit 6 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark
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I come or you come here – either -

[written in two columns] - Otis Brachyotus 1 2 Fringilla ravanarum Baltimore Oriole 4 Crow – 1 [written to right side of lines 4-7, second column] Fragments of least bittern & yellow bill cuckoo with varieties of Blk birds eggs Coot? [back to column 1] - Wild Pigeon 22 Dove - Carolina 22 22 22 Ralus Elegans Virgineanus 2 2 & Carolina 2 2 - Sand Hill Crane 2 Bittern 1 Lobipes wilsonii 1

Most of the above you have marked - but one specime, of course you have none to spare but should you come across them next year just remember us –

22 King bird 2 (cat - 38)

Our best wishes for all –

Mrs Hoy sends her love

Yours Truly P.R. Hoy

Dr Robert Kennicott

[page turned, stamped on right side of page] J. Kennicott Brenton Collections

Last edit 6 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark

RK-189

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1105

Washington Oct. 4 1856

Dear Robert

On my return a day or two ago, I found your letter of Sept. 19, which I hasten to answer. I hope you will sweep up all the prizes for Nat. Hist. Specimens and get ever so many spoons & forks for your mother.

The principal zoologist & naturalist in St. Louis is Dr. Geo. Engelmann, who is to that part of the states, what Dr. Kirtland is in Ohio. Other eligibles are Dr. B. F. Shumaid, Prof. Swallow, Dr. Prout, & Dr. Stevens

I think you had better not begin yet with electing honorary members. Wait till you get fairly started, and then dont elect too many.

I presume Dr. Brendels bird is nothing more than G. canadensis or G. hoyanus as you suggest. By the way

Last edit 6 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark
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Dr. Hartlaub of Bremen insists that G. hoyanus is the Young of G. americanus, the white crane.

If you ever come across a specimen of the white crane I would like it if sparable. We have none in the collection.

Very truly Yours S. F. Baird

Robt. Kennicott West Northfield, Ill

P.S. Cant you send me some living striped gophers? I would like them very much. The gray gopher you sent last year is in excellent condition, and I would like to increase the spermophilian menagerie. Some living Fox and black squirrels would also be highly acceptable.

Last edit 6 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark

RK-190

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1127 671

Washington Oct. 8. 1856

Dear Robert

I have just had some talk with Mr. Brown, agricultural clerk of the Patent office about an article for the next report on the quadrupeds injurious to vegetation, and he seemed well inclined to have one. They pay well for such things and I want you to go to work and write as full a memoir as you can in the habits of the mice, squirrels, gophers, hares, woodchucks &c, especially as regards their injuries to crops, and to the land. Give all notices of reproductive phenomena, number of broods and of young, character of food, &c, [illegible] of ravages and the like. Although there is no positive promise to accept it, yet I think it will be done, and you may get a hundred dollars or thereabouts for it – if it makes 15 or 20 pages.

This will be much better than publishing in our report, or that of the Phila. Academy, as the pay will be positive and the circulation much better.

Last edit 5 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark
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If you choose to introduce notices of the birds, reptiles, & insects injurious or beneficial to the farmer and nurseryman, it will be all the better. You can make out articles of much interest and originality – indeed I do not know any one so able to do this.

Very truly Yours Spencer F. Baird

Robt. Kennicott West Northfield Ill

Last edit 5 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark

RK-191

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The Grove [circled] 7 West Northfield, Ill. Oct 20th 1856

Dear Sir.

I spent this afternoon in wading in the River Des Plaines (a tributary of the Illinois River) hunting shells for you.

I was unable to find many bivalves con[page torn] the living animals, but managed to find a [page torn] shells about stones and logs, the contents of which had been devoured by that "Conchologists assista[page torn] - the muskrat. For want of better specimens I shall send you some poor ones. Thinking they may be of some use in comparing, observing varieties &c, though not good for cabinet specimens.

This river is a small stream and rather sluggish Enlarging to great size annually at the time of [illegible]. It is now very low.

I found what I suppose to be melania cana iculata in almost incredable quantities. I estimated the average number at about over twenty to every square foot of the whole surface [page torn] the river - though there would be large [page torn] in stagnent water (that is behind points where the [page torn] could not come) where the shells lay so thick as to comple[page torn] cover the bottom - all touching each other. The shells all contained the living animal. I observed that in moving about they often followed in each other[page torn] tracks as if 'twere easier to travel so. I observed a specimen about an inch long moved about his own

Last edit 5 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark
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length in two minutes. So a "snails pace" is 30 inches an hour. I am not at all sure I am correct as to the name of this species. Mr Lapham could not name it, but it looks like an imperfect specimen of M. Canaliculata given me by Dr Kirtland. [page torn] send you a hundred specimens or so.

[page torn] did not find Lynnia Paludina ponderosa so abundant [page torn] I have sometimes seen it in spring. There were twenty of the melania to one of P. ponderosa. I believe the latter is very abundant in all the tributaries of the Illinois in this region.

Plarorbis trivolvis (I suppose it to be) but you'll know by the specimens) is abundant in this river - it is also very abundant in our prairie sloughs - but I found few specimens to day and none containing the living animal I think.

I found the empty shells of cyclas similis in great abundance, but I think I found no living specimens at all. this species is very abundant in our prairie sloughs.

This summer I found Lymnea jugularis (true) [page torn] abundance in a prairie stre small prairie stream made of spring water. I do not remember to have seen it in the river (into which this stream empties) nor in the prairie sloughs - from Dr Kirtlands observations I had supposed it an inhabitant of stagnant water. - However, upon second thoughts I remember that though the creek in which I observed

Last edit 5 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark
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it this summer had a rapid currant, it had a muddy bottom - or at least one not strong was full of grass and in places widened out into little lakes where the currant was imperceptable - I doubt myself whether this shell could exist in rivers with rapid currents rocky bottoms.

Lymnea fragilis inhabits the prairie [page torn] in very great numbers, I found none in the river to day and I am under the impr[page torn] that I never did find any in it.

Physa heterostropha is exceedingly abundan[page torn] in the prairie sloughs, I do not remember having found it abundant - if at all - in the river I have sometimes found great quantities of this species on the beach about the piers in lake Michigan at Chicago.

I did not find univ cariosus nor u. calceolus as common as usual, in the river to day. u. cariosus is abundant in some small lakes (Crystal Lake &c Crystal lake Illinois - not Crystal Lake in Wisconsin, from when) near here whose only [illegible] I also have this shell is in high water when they run empty into [page torn] I mention these species because I do not see them[page torn] in catalogues of Illinois shells.

[circled] 8

Last edit 5 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark

RK-192

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1206

Smithsonian Washington Oct. 20. 56

Dear Robert I was truly glad to hear of your success in taking the prizes, and still more of the honorable and just dispositon of them I wish they were ten times as many

I want the striped squirrels or Spermophilis very much to convince the skeptical that Dr Hoy was not wrong when he called them carnivorous. The Franklin's Marmot is the most Bloodthirsty fellow I ever saw. I would also like all the different squirrels, Fox, black, gray - red: particularly the two former. Any live wild mice, moles, or shrews, weasels - the like would be acceptable.

Please get me just as many more Arvicolae in alcohol as you can. I have not half enough from Illinois. I worked at

[page turned, stamped on right side] J. Kennicott Brenton Collections

Last edit 5 months ago by The Grove National Historic Landmark
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