TRANSFER OF LOEW’S COLLECTION TO CAMBRIDGE 
83 
this (‘Doch genug davon’).” And then, for the evident purpose 
of mitigating the effect of such a beginning, Loew passed without 
any transition to a rambling discourse, on four closely written 
pages, about his interest in the collection, his plans for the future 
new Catalogue, etc. The letter ended thus: “ Once more my heart¬ 
felt thanks for the great proofs of friendly kindness and faithful 
friendship by which, I cannot deny it, you have relieved me of a 
heavy burden of material anxiety in which I have been involved 
by the circumstances of the times (‘ durch welche Sie mir in Folge 
der Zeitverhaltnisse, wie ich nicht leugnen kann, eine schwer 
lastende materielle Sorge abgenommen haben ’). Thus I am enabled 
now to devote more time and strength to the study of the American 
Diptera, and I promise you to do this as far as the strength of my 
old age (‘ alten Krafte ’) permits. With the assurances,” etc., etc. 
The true meaning of this strange proceeding of Loew’s was, that 
the various sums of money which he had received through my 
mediation had enabled him to realize his long-cherished plan of re¬ 
entering political life. Henceforth his constant pre-occupation 
consisted in lulling me with his assurances about his interest in 
our common work, and his preparations for the new Catalogue, 
while his inner self was occupied in an entirely different sphere. 
It was not only for the transaction about the sale of the collection that Loew 
felt grateful, but also for a payment he had recently received from the Smithsonian 
Institution for the third volume of the “Monographs.” About this remunera¬ 
tion, I had made an arrangement rather advantageous for Loew’s finances. I 
translate a passage of my letter to him, dated May 2, 1872 : “ I made with Pro¬ 
fessor Baird the following arrangement, and I hope you will not take it in bad 
part. As I did not care to make the translation for nothing, I agreed with the 
Smithsonian Institution that they should consider the English manuscript as your 
work, and that they should add the payment for my translation to the remunera¬ 
tion due to you. This will make them understand that I consider the remunera¬ 
tion which you receive as too small, and will add a zest to my labor in translating.” 
The consequences of this change in Loew’s situation soon became 
manifest. My claims upon him had much increased since I had 
settled in Cambridge, Mass. While I lived in Washington and in 
New York, I had my specialties to occupy me, and my correspond¬ 
ence with Loew had principally our common work for its object. 
In Cambridge, besides putting in order the Museum’s and my own 
