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 



