RK-178

[stamped] J. Kennicott Brenton Collections

[handwritten] Boston Aug. 16th 1856

Robert Kennicott Esq

Dear Sir

I owe you many apo logies for having seemed to neglect your kind favors so long. The truth is I have never before been so busy as I have been during the past four weeks, and I have had positively no time in which to do justice to my private correspondence. I can hardly hope to do so now, but I can wait no longer without writing to you and at least noticing several points in your letters.

I am glad then that my copy of Lieut. [Illegible] Report will be acceptable to you, and will send it with pleasure, as soon as I can catch a member of Congress to frank it for me -

I failed to receive the copy you sent me of your catalogue of Cook Co. animals &c. or [illegible] only a partial one reached me in a letter - was that the one you refer to? I should like very well, a copy of the Agricultural Report - I have received one copy of the Prarie Farmer. Do they receive the Atlas?

You can send the Report by mail to me without prepaying it. The extracts you sent me are interesting and valuable. Such papers can but do good and in time must penetrate into the affections of ever the most stolid worshipper of mere mammon.

In regard to your sending me the eggs I would say that I am in no haste. My family are out of town and my house is closed, so that it would be less convenient to receive them now than by and bye, say the 20th of Sept. If you will pack such as you can spare me in a string box, stuffed with cotton so as to permit neither motion nor friction, you can send them to me by express. Direct simply to me at "Atlas Office, 5 Old State House, Boston". In reference to those you do not know, I dare say I can decipher many of them and will be happy to try my hand at it. If they are sylvicolae however I may be stumped. It would be no "trouble" but a very great pleasure. I could like nothing better. I am very sorry to hear you speak of weak eyes. I assure you I

can sympathise with your therein. In the first place I have but one that is at all serviceable and that often gives out. Last spring I was confined to a dark room for nearly eight weeks and had to read by others eyes and lips and write by others pens, chiefly my wifes. Even now I have to submit to having my lids touched twice a week with sulphate of copper, and to drop borax dissolved in camphor water into them. The latter however is a very grateful application. Perhaps they may suit your case.

I believe we have no entomo-logist in our society but will inquire more on that head.

In regard to the eggs I wish you to keep such as you wish for yourself and friends. The short eared owl I need to have it photographed and engraved from. I will on the next page make out a list of such as I need for exchanges or for further specimens for my own cabinet, marking the first 1, the second 2.

Yours very sincerely J. M. Brewer

[written in two columns] 62 Loggerhead - Shrike 42 Wood Thrush 11 Sylvicola aestiver 22 Fringilla savannasum 11 Bobolink 1 Blue Jay 1 Yellow billed cuckoo when you have more 31 Carolina dove 31 Prairie Hen 702 Rallus elegans 78 31 Virginia rail 3 6, & 2 American Bitten 17 & 2 Sora Rail 7 11 Kildeer 6, & 2 Bartram's Tatler 5 1 King fisher 1 Night hawk 1 Lecost Bitten 1 & 2 Short bille Marsh wren 1 mimus papus 2 King bird 3 Lofisses wilsonii 3 3 Catbird Shortear owl 2 1 Bobolink [column 2] No 1 dark colored bird nest floating in slough No 2 1 3-3 4-2 5-2 6-1 7-3 nest in tree 8-1 9-2 nest in tree 10-1 11-1 12-1 13-1 cedar bird? 14-1 15-2 16-1 17-2