Oh. V.] 1828—1831. 109 



C. D. to J. M. Herbert. September 14, 1828.* 



My dear old Cherbury, — I am about to fulfil my promise of 

 writing to you, but I am sorry to add there is a very selfish 

 motive at the bottom. I am going to ask you a great favour, 

 and you cannot imagine how much you will oblige me by 

 procuring some more specimens of some insects which I 

 dare say I can describe. Jn the first place, I must inform you 

 that I have taken some of the rarest of the British Insects, and 

 their being found near Barmouth, is quite unknown to the 

 Entomological world : I think I shall write and inform some 

 of the crack entomologists. 



But now for business. Several more specimens, if you can 

 procure them without much trouble, of the following insects : — 

 The violet-black coloured boetle, found on Craig Storm,f 

 under stones, also a largo smooth black one very like it ; a 

 bluish metallic-coloured dung-beetle, which is very common on 

 the hill-sides ; also, if you would be so very kind as to cross 

 the ferry, and you will find a great number under the stones on 

 the waste land of a long, smooth, jet-black beetle (a great many 

 of these) ; also, in the same situation, a very small pinkish insect, 

 with black spots, with a curved thorax projecting beyond the 

 head ; also, upon the marshy land over the ferry, near the sea, 

 under old sea weed, stones, &c, you will find a small yellowish 

 transparent beetle, with two or four blackish marks on the 

 back. Under these stones there are two sorts, one much 

 darker than the other ; the lighter coloured is that which I 

 want. These last two insects are excessively rare, and you will 

 really extremely oblige me by taking all this trouble pretty 

 soon. Eemember me most kindly to Butler, J tell him of my 

 success, and I dare say both of you will easily recognise these 

 insects. I hope his caterpillars go on well. I think many of 

 the Chrysalises are well worth keeping. I really am quite 

 ashamed [ofj so long a letter all about my own concerns ; but 

 do return good for evil, and send me a long account of all your 

 proceedings. 



In the first week I killed seventy-five head of game — a very 

 contemptible number — but there are very few birds. I killed, 

 however, a brace of black game. Since then I have been 



* The postmark being Derby seems to show that the letter was written 

 from his cousin, W. D. Fox's house, Osmaston, near Derby. 



t The top of the hill immediately behind Barmouth was called Craig- 

 Storm, a hybrid Cambro-English word. 



X Rev. T. Butler, a son of the former head master of Shrewsbury 

 School. ^ 



