46 MEMOIR OF DRURY. 



ried into effect. He returned home by the West 

 Indies after an absence of some years. 



An individual to whom Drury showed much 

 kindness, in the hope of being supplied through his 

 means with the insects of New South Wales, was 

 J. W. Lewin, author of a small, but original, and 

 really valuable work, entitled u A Natural History 

 of the Lepidopterous Insects of New South Wales." 

 It appears from Lewin's letters that he was in a 

 great measure illiterate, and had been subjected to 

 many difficulties, so that it was a good while before 

 he could do much towards the fulfilment of Drury's 

 wishes. They continued, however, to communicate 

 with each other for a considerable time ; Drury sup- 

 plying goods to no small amount, which were to be 

 repaid in insects. In his necessities, Lewin is not 

 backward in his demands on the liberality of his 

 friend, who supplied him, among many other mis- 

 cellaneous articles, with the copperplates on which 

 he engraved his insects and birds, and even with 

 the^)aper for printing them. Thomas Marsham, 

 author of the Entomologia Britannica, and Alex- 

 ander Macleay, afterwards united with Drury in 

 advancing money to Lewin while he was at Botany 

 Bay, expecting the value to be returned to them in 

 insects. 



It will readily be supposed that with such nu- 

 merous contributors, and liberal outlay in procuring 

 insects, Drury's collection had become of great ex- 

 tent; and it was not more remarkable on that 

 account than it was for the perfection and rarity 



