EXTRACTS FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE. 255 



All these presents will be delivered here to Mr. Monroe, the United States 

 consul, with whom I have communicated, to insure their remittance, as I agreed 

 with you and Mr. Seward. I find, however, that he has received no instructions 

 from the State Department as I expected, and beg to suggest to you the propriety 

 of speaking again to the Secretary of State to request him to forward said in- 

 Btructions to the consul. 



Please to let me know that you have received this letter, and you may deliver 

 your answer to Mr. Fleury, attache to the Brazilian legation at Washington, 

 Yours, very truly. 



From Don F. L. L' Burlamaqui, director, 



Brazilian Natural History Museum, 



Rio de Janeiro, January 4, 1865. 



My Dear Sir: I am ordered by the Brazilian government to send to the 

 Smithsonian Institution, of which you are the worthy secretary, a collection of 

 natural history specimens of this country, taken from the duplicates existing in 

 this museum. 



Performing this duty, I should be very happy if I were enabled to send you 

 objects worthy of being ranked among your magnificent collections ; but, un- 

 happily, I cannot do it in this opportunity, because the Brazilian museum is 

 exhausted with the returns made to other museums. 



I send a few ornithological and entomological specimens and some bones of 

 fossil animals. 



I send also a copy of the " Ornithologie Bresilienne," a work which shall 

 continue and form four or five volumes. 



I profit by this opportunity to let you know that it would be very agreeable 

 to this museum to possess the interesting memoirs of your illustrious society. 



I am, sir, with the highest consideration and respect, yours, very truly. 



From the Museum of the city of Bern. 



Bern, March 25, 1865. 

 Honored Sir: By order of the commissioners of the museum of the city of 

 Bern, the undersigned beg leave to trouble you with the question whether it 

 will be practicable for them to obtain, through your kind intervention, a specimen 

 of the bison, by which is meant the well-preserved skin, with skull and extrem- 

 ities, of a full-grown male animal of that species, and what will be the price of 

 such an acquisition ? On account of the narrowness of our financial means we 

 find ourselves necessitated to place this question in the foreground, and on that 

 account also address ourselves directly to your interposition, holding ourselves 

 always ready to acknowledge the favor by any reciprocal service which may lie 

 in our power. Encouraged by the friendly assurances of Mr. Fogg, envoy of the 

 United States of North America to the Swiss confederation, we prefer our request 

 to you in the hope of being favored with .an obliging reply to the above-proposed 

 questions. 



Be pleased to accept the assurances of the high consideration with which we 

 hare the honor to remain, (in the name of the commission of the museum of 

 Bern,) 



C. FISCHER, President. 



B. STUDER, Secretary. 



