202 LETTERS TO DR. FLETCHER [CHAP. xix. 



and smearing until their trees are one mass of grease, 

 and swarming, nevertheless, with caterpillars of all kinds. 



Now, I want to mention to you and to Professor Saunders 

 that I have felt obliged to tell Mr. Whitehead, as gently and 

 courteously as I could, that I must decline to continue the 

 assistance which I have given since 1885 to the Entomo- 

 logical part of his work as Agriculture Adviser to the Board 

 of Agriculture. I have recommended professional helpers 

 who can aid him in the technical identifications, and if he 

 needs more aid on general matters I have suggested that he 

 should apply to Professor Harker, who has a great deal of 

 strictly technical entomological knowledge, and of late years 

 has given much attention to the agricultural application 

 of it. 



Even if the post of " Entomologist " should be offered 

 to me, I should not think myself justified in accepting, for 

 my great wish in my work is to be of immediate use, and if 

 I had to wait for permission from boards and committees, 

 &c., &c., before I came down on pests that want attention 

 by return of post, I should not feel in the right place. 

 Please forgive my telling you this story about myself, but 

 though of course it is only meant for private friends, I 

 thought I ought to let you know. My own work has 

 steadily increased to such an extent that, with this sort of 

 underground (unacknowledged) Government work in 

 addition, I did not feel able to do full justice to it, and 

 especially I wanted more time for experiment and corres- 

 pondence. 



February 13, 1890. 



Many thanks for your kind congratulations on my better 

 health. I am really better now. Work was bearing me 

 down so very seriously I was obliged to make some degree 

 of alteration. I regretted very much indeed not continuing 

 any help I could give to Mr. Whitehead about his entomo- 

 logical Government work, but it was too severe a task, and 

 it prevented my giving proper attention to rny own, and 

 likewise when the post of Agricultural Adviser was avowedly 

 a paid one, I felt, and my friends felt, that if aid were needed 

 it ought to be on a business footing and obtained from 

 professional helpers. 



March 24, 1890. 



I thank you very heartily for the little box of X. dispar 

 which you have kindly spared, for your own paper on the 

 " Mediterranean Flour Moth " preceding the copy in the 

 " Canadian Entomologist," and for all the information in 



