38 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Feb., '02 



The Eumceus debora in its perfect state, feeds on sticky sub- 

 stances which flow from the trunks, leaves and fruits of the 



Cycadea, 



> i 



Letters from Thomas Say to John F. Melsheimer, 



1816-1825. X, XL 



Philad? April a6 11 ? 1823 

 My Dear Sir ! 



I duly received yT excellent letter & more recently the valu- 

 able box of insects you were so good as to send me. I beg you 

 to accept my most sincere and hearty thanks for them, as well as 

 for the excellent remarks with which they were accompanied. 

 Most interesting as they truly are, I have to regret to say that 

 I have not yet had leisure to examine them as closely & atten- 

 tively as I w r ish to do. My time has recently been fully occu- 

 pied with preparations for another western Exped? under the 

 orders of the Secretary of War, for the exploration of the St. 

 Peter's river & the 49 of lattitude. We expect to depart on 

 that service on tuesday next, & if our estimate of distance & 

 time is accurate, we shall return here next autumn, if no unfore- 

 seen casualty occurs. I am sorry that our correspondence which 

 is so interesting to me, is thus so much & so frequently inter- 

 rupted, but we must endeavour, by & by, to compensate for 

 the hiatus by longer and more frequent letters. I have begun 

 to publish pretty largely on insects, & shall endeavour to send 

 you the commencement of a paper on the Carabii, now print- 

 ing for our Philosophical Transactions ; you will observe that 

 I have taken the liberty to mention your name not unfrequently 

 in that paper as well as elsewhere, as in duty bound as well as 

 inclination & justice. I have also quoted your catalogue for 

 every species that I could identify, that is, for every species 

 you or your father sent me. I have also appropriated Mss. 

 enough to supply our Journal during my absence, this little 

 work I have directed to be regularly sent to you. It will afford 

 me great pleasure to learn that these several essays interest 

 you, In the mean time I remain as ever 



truly & affectionately your triend 

 Thomas Say 



