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Status: Needs Review

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 under-
stand 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]

Notes and Questions

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MosquitoMike

The 2nd line is "Did our friend Cistuda[underlined] Blandingii[underlined] arrive in
good spirits?" [a specimen of Blanding's turtle (now classified as Emydoidea blandingii), a rare species that was originally described/named by Dr. John Edwards Holbrook (the "Doct. Holbrook" mentioned in the letter). The specimen was likely preserved in alcohol, hence the humor writing "in good spirits"]
The last line should read "reptiles - and fish if he wants them."
This appears to be an undated draft of a letter written by Robert Kennicott, but uncertain who it was addressed to [not S.F. Baird, and not J.E. Holbrook]

MosquitoMike

This was an undated draft of a letter written by Robert Kennicott to his Cleveland mentor, Jared Potter Kirtland, sometime soon after November 3, 1854, the date of a letter from Kirtland to Kennicott where he relayed an offer from herpetologist John Edwards Holbrook to trade a copy of his North American Herpetology book for specimens.

The Grove National Historic Landmark

5/25/2023 Initial review completed. CE
Action: Corrected spelling "Cistuda Blandingii" in line 3. Changed "Barids" to "Bairds" in line 25.