88 
TRANSFER OF LOEW’S COLLECTION TO CAMBRIDGE 
einer solehen die Sammlung in erspriesslichster unci zweckmassigster Weise in Ihre 
Hande geleitet vverden kann. 
“Audi vermag ich nur dureli Besprechung niit ilim festzustellen, welclie Tlieile der 
Sammlung zunachst nacli Cambridge gesendet werden miissen, urns einer neuen werth- 
vollen Bearbeitung des Dipteren-Catalogs zu Statten zu kommen. Wenn Sie die 
ganze Sammlung baldigst haben wollen, ohne dass die von mir gemachten Yor- 
arbeiten fiir die Zusamnienstellung des neuen Catalogs ausgenutzt werden sollen, so 
werde ich das vielleicht mit Hiilfe eines befreundeten Dipterologen in leidlicher Frist 
zu Stande bringen vermbgen. Besser und griindlicher wird allerdings der Zweek dureli 
Osten Saeken’s persoiiliche Beihiilfe gefordert werden.” 
About these proposals of Loew I reproduce my answer to Mr. 
Agassiz (Newport, R. I., April 24, 1877), as I find it in the draft 
which I possess. It gives a curious insight into my state of mind 
at that time. 
“ Dear Mr. Agassiz : — I return herewith Loew’s letter. In my opinion, 
the safest course to pursue, would be to take advantage of the passage on 
the third page (‘ In case you should prefer to receive the whole collection,’ 
etc.) and to answer that the Museum wishes to come into possession of the 
collection as soon as possible, and without depending on Osten Sacken’s 
arrival, or co-operation. It would be useful to remind Loew to return at 
the same time those specimens which I foolishly sent him, while at work in 
the Museum. I doubt very much of the utility of further publications on 
his part in the present state of things (assuming that such publications 
were possible and seriously contemplated). They would necessarily appear 
in Germany, and in the German language, and thus throw an obstacle in 
the way of the American student instead of helping him. Loew cannot 
count upon me for translating and editing them, as I have done for the 
three volumes of the ‘Monographs of North American Diptera’; I have 
had enough of that kind of labor. Loew’s letter does not afford any clue 
towards explaining his behavior towards me. He seems to forget that his 
silence began more than a year before his illness. And if he thinks 
that, after such a behavior, I will continue to play second fiddle to him, 
he takes altogether too favorable a view of my good-nature. His want of 
candor appears especially in the passage, ‘ the frequent changes of residence 
of Osten Sacken, ’ etc., as if my movements had anything to do with his 
writings, and as if he had not written his last letter to me more than eight 
months before I left for California! 
“ I have done with my winter’s work (Western Diptera) and intend to 
take a short holiday in New York. I do not think I shall sail for Europe 
before June.” 
My decision to have the collection shipped without any further 
delay proved most fortunate, because the decay of Loew’s faculties 
