RK-031

Dear Sir, Yours of the 3rd last was rec'd a day or two since - Did our friend Cistuda Blandingii arrive in good spirits? As to your proposal About I am much pleased and grateful to find you take enough interest in me to ask Doct Holbrook to give me his book; and I fully appreciate your kindness in doing so. But at the same time I cannot accept it as payment for making Doct Holbrook collections I will give you my reasons - I have perhaps already told you that inasmuch as I cannot at present gain much credit as a scientific naturalist - it is my wish to do what I can for the advancement of Natural History by assisting others good naturalists till such time as I can - Providence permitting - take a place amoung you savants. - Now suppose I should even be of great assistance to Doct Holbrook, I would be deserving of little credit if I did it as hired man Naturalist whereas if I did it out of my own desire to advance [last 3 words underlined] the science, I would know at least that I deserve [underlined] the credit whether I got [underlined] it or no - Do you understand and appreciate my motive? I have just sent Doct Holbrook a suite of reptiles and intend to send him what I can next year (that is where I can without spoiling Prof Bairds suits). [3 illegible words inserted above]] Nor will the fact of your offering me the book make any difference except by its showing me that what I collect may be of value and thus urging me to make larger collections for both himself and Prof Baird - As I have already said I intend anyway ^{[illegible] [illegible] [illegible]}to get Doct Hollbrook a suite of reptiles - and find if he wants them, [illegible] [illegible due to fold in page]

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though I refuse to accept the book as a condition that I make him a collection, yet if I send him things which will be of much assistance to him and he thinks I am deserving or encouragement and ^then chooses to present me with his work I will accept it with much gratitude, and it would be of great value to me and at presen. I am too poor to purchase such expensive books. If Doct Holbrook agrees to your proposition to send me his work tell him [illegible] what I say if you please - I shall send you in a few days a box containing a case of insects, set up, - a pasteboard box containing birds eggs, - a small box, inside of which packed in moss you will find an Entomological pet for Mrs. Pease, - a lot of shells - and what skins I have been able to get this summer. The case of insects has cost me much labor. I at first intended to put the insects up in cases all ready for the cabinet, Bu but I came to the conclusion that it would not be best - the glass on the cases would be apt to break, I could not have put them up ^very neatly taking ^{all things} into consideration, the liability of the glass to break &c. it would not be best. Wherein I had only one spec of an insect I sent it to you - (except a spec of M Attacus cecropia and several others which I know you had a number of) and I have always given you the best spec of an insect when I keep one, I have numbered the insects not of which I have got duplicates - and in [illegible] many instances also where I can make such notes as will enable me to identify the insect without a spec. If you can give me the names of such of these insects as you

* in the bottled insects I sent in the box with the plants are several [illegible] beetles of which I had no duplicates and did not set them up* familiar with [illegible] will be of immense use to me Of about 80 species of moths I have duplicates of only 40 and I have ^a duplicate of only one of the devils needles ^{dragon flies} I have been unable to collect anything like a full suit of our butterflies - have at them next summer though. I believe I told you how the ants destroyed my butterflies at one time. * Birds eggs - a paper inside the box contains the names of these - I might have got more species by robbing nests about the house but that I won't do anyway Entomological pet - this is one of two specimens of a Dytiscus which I have kept all summer in a glass dish full [strikethrough] of water. When placed in a globe of clean glass they are very pretty and from their constant activity make agreeable pets - I think Mrs Pease would like it. It should be placed in water at once. Mine have been fed at about twice a week with raw meat and the water - if less than a quart should be changed ^about every three days - If the dish is filled quite full of water he will manage to climb out and fly away his ^{fly off} some I have of mine did The Shells - these unless otherwise labeled are from the river Des Plaines - If conveniant please give me the names of the numbered ones Skins - I believe I have got you ^all the specialities you asked for mentioned except the crane - I've tried hard to get one but cant do it. Most of Many of the skins I know are in

189 poor ones but you may take into consideration the difficulties under which I labored. Last spring the cats destroyed several of my most valued ^bird skins including a rail - and after they had died from the effects after aresnic part of what remained got spoiled by a heavy rain which leaked through the place where I had to keep them. I ought not to complain for I have had every indulgance that my fath parents and Charlie (my brother) could reasonably grant me - Of course I [strikethrough] it was necessary for us all to do work like fun this spring but lately I have spent much time over my specimens Father offered to build me a room but I don't think right that I should have ^{be to the expense of having} a place to myself when the rest are so have so few convienances. The more so that I am far from being the most useful member of our community. - You had better examine the two squirrel skins at once as I only skinned them last night and being out of arsenic could not give their [illegible] them a full supply * I send you a southern paper - I marked an article which seemed outrageous that I thought you might like to see it. I have thought of going south but faith that is the way things are conducted it would never do. They would lynch me in a week - Noble South! Land of country and chivalry! Where a man cannot criticize their institutions without being mobbed - How proud ought we to be of these our sister states where such perfect freedom of opinion is allowed