THE society's HERITAGE PEOM THE MACLEAYS. 571 



in entomology that ^ve have, written after his return from a visit to Scotland : 

 "Jly dear Friend, — I return you my best thanks for your letter, which I would 

 have answered from Caithness, if I had met with anything worth communicating. 

 But I could only tell you of my being- prevented from looking after insects by 

 continued rains, snow, and high winds, during the whole of my stay in the county. 

 Indeed, so bad a season was never known ; and a more serious consequence 

 than my entomological disappointment is, that the crop of oats in Caithness has 

 almost entirely failed. Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, 

 however, I was much gratified by my visit to the north. I had reason to believe 

 that very considerable improvement had been made in my native county during 

 the sixteen years I had been absent; but, I assure you, I found the county im- 

 proved far beyond my most sanguine expectations." .... 



"In order that I might see as much as possible of the north of Scotland, I 

 \isited the Orkney- Islands, and the north coast of Scotland, as far as Cape 

 Wrath." . . .' . 



"Through the whole of my travels, I lost no oppoitunity of collecting insects. 

 Indeed, I collected almost every one that I saw. I have, in the whole, about 250 

 or 300 specimens, but they are not yet arrived here ; and I know not whether there 

 be anything new. There are very few Hymenoptera. If there be any duplicates 

 worth your having, they are yours." 



The offer of duplicates of Hymenoptera recalls the fact that, in the early part 

 of the year, one of Kirby's many contributions to science had been published, 

 ■'Monographia Apum Anglise," Ipswich, 1802. 



Alexander Macleay's collection thus probably began with British insects which 

 he himself collected, or obtained by exchange with his entomological friends. 

 The earliest published reference to his active interest in exotic insects known to 

 me is to be found in a "Memoir of Dru Drury," contained in Vol. xv., of "The 

 Naturalist's Library," presumably written by the Editor, Sir WiUiam Jardine 

 (1846) . The writer says: "An individual to whom Drury showed much kindness, 

 in the hope of being supplied through his means with the insects of New South 

 Wales, was J. Vi . Lewin, author of a small, but original, and really valuable 

 work, entitled "A Natural History of the Lepidopterous Insects of New South 

 Wales." It appears from Lewin's letters that he was in a great measure illiterate, 

 and had been subjected to many difficulties so that it was a good while before he 

 could do much towards the fulfilment of Drury's wishes. They continued, how- 

 ever, to communicate with each other for a considerable time; Di-ury supplying 

 goods to no small amount, which were to be repaid in insects. In his necessities, 

 Lewin is not backward in his demands on the liberality of his friend, who sup- 

 plied him, among many other miscellaneous articles, with the copperplates on 

 which he engraved his insects and birds, and even with the paper for printing 

 them. Thomas Marsham, author of the Entomologia Britannica, and Alexander 

 Macleay, afterwards united with Druiy in advancing money to Lewin while he 

 was at Botany Bay, expecting the value to be returned to them in insects." 



Dru Drury [172,5-1804] was a very remarkable man, a goldsmith, silversmith, 

 and cutler, and one of the "most zealous and successful collectors of insects that 

 ever prosecuted the study in this country." He was also the author of "Illustra- 

 tions of Exotic Entomology," 3 vols. (1770-82), "in which be made the most in- 

 teresting objects of his collection known to the public." 



After his death, the collection was sold, the sale lasting for three days (May 

 23-25, 1805) . Professor J. 0. Westwood issued a second edition of the "Illustra- 



