308 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



THE EDWARDS COLLECTION OF BUTTERFLIES. 



The Editor of the Canadian Entomologist : 



Dear Sir, — I have read with interest your account of the life of my 

 deceased friend, Mr. William Henry Edwards, in the August number of 

 the Canadian Entomologist. I detect on the last page an error. It is 

 not of great importance, but you are incorrect in stating that Mr. 

 Edwards's " extensive and valuable collections were purchased a few 

 years ago by the Carnegie Institution at Pittsburgh and are now in the 

 care of Dr. W. J. Holland, the Director." Long before the Carnegie In- 

 sittute in Pittsburgh existed, or was even thought of, Mr. Edwards, being 

 desirous of publishing the third volume of the " Butterflies of North 

 America," but lacking the necessary funds, wrote me that he contemplated 

 selling his collection, and intended offering it to the Trustees of the 

 British Museum in the hope thereby of securing enough money to enable 

 him to go on with his work. I wrote to him urging him not to do this, as 

 in my judgment the types of his species should be preserved in America, 

 and made him an offer to pay the bills for the publication of the third 

 volume of the Butterflies of North America, as they became due, on con- 

 dition that his collection should be turned over to me when he was 

 through with the same and had completed his studies. This was done. I 

 paid the bills for the drawing, lithographing, and printing of the plates and 

 text of the third volume of " The Butterflies of North America," and 

 finally received his entire collection, which forms a part to-day of my own 

 private collection, which I have in recent years deposited in the Museum 

 of the Carnegie Institute, desiring, while having it near by me, to make it 

 available, with other collections, for purposes of study on the part of 

 American students. 



As I have intimated, the matter is not of burning importance, but 

 your statement conveys an entirely erroneous impression of the trans- 

 action. I have always pleased myself with the thought that I was render- 

 ing a service to the cause of American science by retaining in this country 

 Mr. Edwards's types, and I think I ought to have the credit for doing 

 what I did, and that it should not be given to an institution which was 

 not in existence at the time. 



W. J. Holland, Director Carnegie Museum. 



