358 



PSYCHE. 



[December 1S92. 



tention to the collection, with a view to 

 enable me to revise, correct, & enlarge 

 the catalogue of insects attached to 

 Prof. Hitchcock's ''Survey of Massa- 

 chusetts", of which he has just informed 

 me a new edition will be issued in the 

 course of 2 or 3 months. Do not, I beg 

 you, disappoint me in this matter, for I 

 know that the catalogue is very imper- 

 fect, & in many instances maybe incor- 

 rect. Typographical errors you will 

 discover in it ; for these however I am 

 not answerable ; but. for the credit of 

 American Science, I do hope that you 

 will help me to give a better & longer 

 list of the insects of Massachusetts, 

 which the collection sent to you will 

 undoubtedly enable you to do. In the 

 case is a blank catalogue, prepared with 

 numbers corresponding to the insects 

 themselves, & to the Mss catalogue, in 

 order to save you some trouble & to 

 obviate mistakes & omissions ; & ample 

 space is left in it for any remarks you 

 may be willing to add to the names. 

 As fast as you fill up the sheets of this 

 catalogue please enclose them in an 

 envelope & forward them to me by 

 mail. In cases where you entirely 

 agree with me in the name you can, if 

 you prefer, merely write yes against the 

 numbers : — where I have expressed a 

 doubt ( ?) , if the name nevertheless be 

 right, you may sayjye.? witk't doubt ; in 

 all other cases I rely upon the informa- 

 tion you may give alone, having hitherto 

 been unable to ascertain the names, or 

 having merely given names myself to 

 supposed nondescripts. 



I believe that I have already thanked 

 you for the specimens of Cremas- 

 tocheilus you sent to me — two of them 

 came unbroken, but the others were 

 injured by the crushing of the little bit 

 of wood in which they were enclosed ; 

 still I was enabled from the fragments 

 to ascertain that one of them was a new 

 species. The description with figures 

 of these insects ought to have appeared 

 long ago ; but the Boston Society of 

 Natural History has delayed publishing 

 until this spring, not for the want of 

 matter, but from a desire of increasing 

 their cabinet, library, & other means, 

 before undertaking so serious a project 

 as the publication of a Scientific 

 Journal. The first number, however, 

 is now in press, & the 2d, which is to 

 contain my paper, will soon follow, & 

 will be forwarded to you. 



With the insects sent to you I also 

 sent a few shells, the papers containing 

 which were numbered. Of these you 

 will take note, &, at your entire leisure, 

 I shall be glad to have you give me the 

 names corresponding to these numbers. 



And now, my dear Sir, I have im- 

 posed upon your friendship & your love 

 of science a heavy task — but how could 

 I help it? I only wish that it were in 

 my power to do something for you in 

 return. In the hope, whatever may 

 have been my apparent delinquency, 

 that you will now fully exonerate me 

 from wilful negligence, & will favor me 

 with a speedy reply, I subscribe myself 

 Your friend & serv't 



T. Wm. Harris. 



