1770 LETTER TO GIBRALTAR 179 



water, where they perhaps are hatched like the Ephemerce 



• (may-flies) and the Phryganece (cadews). 



Here it will he proper to remark that Lin. is too general 

 in some of his assertions : too many exceptions occur under 



: his general rules : as you must have already observed in the 



i course of your reading the ' Syst. Nat.' 



You will be pleased to observe whether your ant-catching 

 Sphex (for a Sphex I certainly think it was, though we soon 

 lost our single small specimen) does not carry its prey to its 



\ nest in order to feed its maggots: in and with what sub- 



j stance does it make its nest ? I have named it Sphex formi- 



\ carumfalco. The Insect with a long slender petiolus between 

 the thorax and abdomen is a fine sort of Ichneumon. 



Look after the genus of birds called Petrels ; they are 

 very peculiar in their way of life, and are in the Atlantic ; 

 perhaps may enter the Streights. 



I am glad to find you begin to relish Linn: there is 

 nothing to be done in the wide boundless field of natural 

 history without system. Now you are master of the ordines, 



j you must attend to the genera, and make yourself well 

 acquainted with the terms. Study well the introductions 

 to the classes, and see how the terms are explained. 



Look still for the Myrmeleon (Hon pismier) 'Syst. Nat.' 

 p. 913.* It has jaws like a wasp ; 4 pretty long palpi 

 (feelers), no stemmata ; pimples like crowns on its head; 

 antennae clavatce ! ! Andalusia, I should think, must pro- 

 duce it. 



Your embassy to Morocco, when well drawn up, will 

 make a good chapter in your History, Did you make 

 no remarks on the country? You are to remember that 

 you will want an abundance of matter to fill up 200 or 

 300 pages : and no publication will make a respectable 



* This reference is to the twelfth edition of the ' Systema Naturae,' of which 

 the two parts of the first volume were published in 1766 and 1767. — A. N. 



