90 
TRANSFER OF LOEW’S COLLECTION TO CAMBRIDGE 
vermag ; Sie konnen denken, dass ich mick herzlich nach Hanse sekne. Dass Sie 
die Gattung Syrphus s. str. so keian kaben abmachen konnen, bewundere ick ; ich 
bin bei dem Yersuch die Arten derselben zu bestimmen gar sehr im Gestriipp der 
Zweifel stecken geblieben. Prachtig ware es, wenn es Ilmen nock gelange in der 
sckwierigsten aller Syrpkidengattungen, namlich in der Gatt. Sphaerophoria, 
einiges Lickt zu verschaffen ; ich vermag bis jetzt die festen Grenzen zwischen'den 
americanischen Arten ebenso wenig zu finden, wie zwiscken unseren europaischen, 
und jene von diesen zum guten Tkeil nicht zu untersckeiden,” etc. 
The rest of the letter treats of entomological matters. The col¬ 
lector Jacob Boll had been in Berlin recently with a splendid 
collection of Diptera from Texas. Loew complained of Dr. 
Gerstaecker, the Custodian of the entomological collection of 
the Berlin Museum, who had played false with him in purchasing 
the best part of Boll’s specimens at a very cheap rate, and let him 
depart without letting Loew know anything about it. At this point 
the letter comes to an abrupt termination. 
Jacob Boll, born in Switzerland in 1828, died in Texas in September, 1880. 
The lepidopterist H. Frey of Zurich said of him that “ he was born a collector, 
with a wonderfully quick eye.” H. Iv. Morrison, in the United States, was 
another instance of a marvellous talent in the same profession. 
About the result of my visit at Guben, and the receiving and 
packing up of the collection of North American Diptera, I drew up 
a report to Mr. Alexander Agassiz, dated from Berlin, September, 
1877. I reproduce the rough draft of this report, as I find it 
among my papers : — 
“ I have just returned from Guben, where I have received and packed the 
collection of North American Diptera. According to your instructions, the 
three large cases containing it have been sent to the office of Richard and 
Boas in Hamburg. ... I fondly hope that the collection may arrive safely, 
although I am not without anxiety about it. The drawers which contain 
it are bad for transportation, heavy, and with glass covers. Strips of 
paper have been pasted, crosswise, on these covers, so as to support the 
glass in case of breakage. This was done by order of Loew before I came. 
Some textile fabric would have done better I think. The drawers (42 in 
all) are packed in very strong wooden cases with mattresses inside. The 
packers, who seem to be experts, assure me that all is safe. Still I shall 
feel very anxious until I hear of the safe arrival of this precious collection. 
If I had other drawers at my disposal (or Deyrolle’s ‘cartons ’ as the best) 
I would not have grudged the trouble of transferring the whole collection. 
