1785.] TO HUMPHRY MARSHALL. 543 



The major part of Dr. Fothergill's hot and green house plants 

 I purchased ; but I had no Americans, which were in general in his 

 ground; and this leaves me more open to receive duplicates. I 

 should wish to have some little information respecting soil and 

 growth, though ever so short. 



I collect, likewise, fossils, ores, earths, minerals, animals, par- 

 ticularly I have a copious museum of stuffed birds, and some quad- 

 rupeds. I have the American Bull-frog, Virginian Nightingale, and 

 Mocking Bird. 



I collect, also, small specimens of wood, dried plants, and other 

 departments of Natural History. 



When convenient, shall be glad to hear from thee ; and am thy 

 friend, 



John Coakley Lettsom. 



HUMPHRY MARSHALL TO DR. LETTSOM. 



West Bradford, 4th of 10th mo., 1785. 



Esteemed Friend : 



******* # * * 



I must acknowledge myself much obliged to thee, for getting my 

 thermometer repaired, and sending me the several books thou hast. 

 But, instead of Linn^US's G-enera Plantarum, translated into 

 English by Colin Milne, thou hast sent the Lichfield publication, 

 which I had sent me before by my friend Barclay. * * 



I hope still to continue our correspondence ; and have therefore 

 sent thee, by this opportunity, two of our Land Turtles, alive a 

 male and a female, I think. The one that I take to be the female, 

 hath a piece broke out of the shell, near the head, and looks as if 

 she might be very old perhaps fifty or sixty years. 



It may not be unpleasant to thee, perhaps, to be informed how 

 we come to the knowledge of this little animal's longevity, in Ame- 

 rica. Out of curiosity, several of the inhabitants have been in the 

 practice, when they have found this little harmless creature creep- 

 ing about their meadows, or fields, eating strawberries or mush- 

 rooms, in the summer season, they have, with their knives, cut the 

 first two letters of their names, and the date of the year, on the 

 under shell, where it will remain to be seen for a great number of 

 years. I remember to be sent for, by one of my neighbours, to see 

 one that he had set the first two letters of his name on, and dated 



