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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
WASHINGTON D.C.

May 11' 1855

My Dear Robert

The box of snakes ar-
rived to day and I take the
first opportunity after unpacking,
to write about them. A few
of the snakes were dead: most
however were lively and in ex-
cellent condition. The mice were
all dead: indeed I feared this
would be the case. They were
entirely rotten and must have
died a day or two after starting.
I could not tell their species.
The one sent in letter of the 4',
appears much like Hoy species,
but to determine accurately all
the questions about these mice
will require many specimens of
all, taken at different seasons.

The snake of which you
sent two specimens, one alive
the other dead, is not
Regina liberis, but as far
as I can tell now, an entirely
new species!! I never saw
it before. It comes between