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[printed letterhead]
No. [written] 660 [printed] Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D. C. [written] May 16 [printed] 18 [written] 57

My Dear Robert

I think it would be as
well to take no birds but
such as are very rare: you
can do much better in the
other departments. You can
exchange your other collec-
tions without difficulty, for
birds.

I wish you could spend
such a season in Minneso-
ta you are doing in S.
Illinois. You would do a
great work.

I was much amused
with your "snake experiences".
You worked that bully very
well. I have no doubt
from your description that the
snake is a moccasin

I would like now to
have as large a number of living
species of serpents as you can