50 



Conte and Asa Fitch, there were hardly any workiug entomologists in the United 

 States ; Harris had died a few years earlier. As early as these times Glover was pre- 

 paring his copper-plates as a record of his collections and observations. 1 hoped he 

 would issue a volume with plates representing the most common insects, which, at 

 that time, would have been very useful in acquainting the public with the principal 

 forms and in starting the subject. But years went by. I left Washington in 1862, 

 and it was only in 1874 that Glover wrote me to ask for my opinion about the publi- 

 cation of his work. * * » However, I had occasion to ascertain afterwards that 

 Glover had fully appreciated my frankness and my kind intention. I am glad that 

 you have undertaken to write a memorial of this amiable and worthy man and sincere 

 lover of nature. 



In consequence of the circumstances herein narrated, Mr. Glover 

 modified larj>ely his previous ideas regarding the publication of the 

 Diptera. He decided upon a small edition of 50 copies, and chose for 

 the volume the modest title " Manuscript Notes from ray Journal, or 

 Illustrations of lusects," and, to carry out the idea more fully, had it 

 printed by lithographic transfer upon stone from his own handwriting. 



Apropos of this lithographic fac-simile printing, a characteristic an- 

 ecdote may be related. As may be inferred his printing bill was consid- 

 erable. The process necessitated making, with his own hand, a careful 

 copy of each page in transfer ink, and as the steps which followed 

 were purely mechanical he argued that with press and appliances he 

 could easily do the work himself. Making inquiry he learned of a small 

 portable contrivance for the purpose, arranged with a cylindrical stone 

 and which could be obtained at a comparatively low price — less than 

 $100, I think. So the little printing establishment was purchased and 

 set up in his office in the Department. A very nice page of copy was 

 prepared after everything had been arranged to his satisfaction, direc- 

 tions were duly followed as to the transfer process, ink applied plenti- 

 fully, and an impression taken. 



The professor's face was a study as he took off" this first sheet. Not 

 half of the written words appeared on the page, the transferring of the 

 copy not having taken from the stone. Then the printing ink had 

 stuck to the stone in places where the space should have been left 

 white, and altogether it was a very unsatisfactory beginning. Impres- 

 sion after impression was taken with no better success ; and then it was 

 decided that insufficient cure had been exercised in making the transfer of 

 the original. The next point was to clean the stone. The directions indi- 

 cated that the cylinder should be placed in a concave appliance, of a 

 material resembling fire-brick, which accompanied the press, and the 

 crank turned until the ink upon its surface had all been removed. Mr. 

 Glover adjusted the stone, grasped the crank, and ground away until 

 patience was very nearly exhausted, when he called in a colored mes- 

 senger to help him finish the work. Other trials followed, during which 

 the amateur printer lost all patience, and after keeping the contrivance 

 a week or two he prevailed upon the agent to take it back at a large 

 discount from the original cost and a professional lithographer was 

 again employed to do his printing. 



