70 A Letter from Mr. J. Ritchie, 



nature in Africa, are not met with at least in this part of the 

 country. Dupont has prepared more than 100 birds, and I 

 have made a considerable collection of reptiles, fishes, shells, 

 insects and plants. I have two specimens of the Effah, a poi- 

 sonous snake not uncommon here, but which with several 

 other reptiles I cannot find to have been described by Cuvier. 



The Chameleon is very common in this country ; when I 

 caught the first, I observed distinctly that its property of 

 changing its colour depended on the exertion of a voluntary 

 power ; and I was of course rather annoyed to find, on con- 

 sulting my books, that the same remark had already been 

 made. 



A few days ago, Dupont found a nest of Brachini, the 

 whole of which he took prisoners. No less than a thousand 

 of them are set aside for England, and of the rest we intend 

 forming a colony in our garden. I am now making a few 

 experiments on the substance which they emit when they cre- 

 pitate, but do not know whether I can collect enough to ar- 

 rive at any conclusion. It made Dupont's fingers entirely 

 black when he took them ; it is neither alkaline nor acid ac- 

 cording to the ordinary tests, but is soluble in water and in 

 alcohol. 



It is only within these few days that the botany of the coun- 

 try is becoming interesting, and at present every day makes 

 it more so. 



I have just heard that the French Government has deter- 

 mined to attach a naturalist to each of their ships of war, and 

 that orders have been received by all their Consuls to afford 

 every facility to these gentlemen in their researches. 



I hope Great Britain will not be behind her rival in endea- 

 vouring to promote science, and I anxiously hope to hear 

 upon my arrival in Europe that an efficient School of Natural 

 History is formed or to be formed in England. My exer- 

 tions shall certainly not be wanting to contribute towards ren- 

 dering our national museum worthy of the country which 

 possesses it. The French Government has, in addition, issued 

 orders to their Consuls to collect and send home for the Paris 

 Museum specimens cf the animals and plants of the countries 

 in which they respectively reside. I trust that we shall also 

 begin to make some use tor scientific purposes of our political 

 and commercial preeminence abroad. There is no obstacle 

 to the finest collection in the world being formed in England, 

 if we knew how to profit of the advantages we possess. The 

 natural history of our Indian possessions is almost unknown, 

 and, so long as there exists in England no school of natural 

 history, similar in its plan to the Jardin des Plantes, must con- 

 tinue 



