APPENDIX. 575 



and thanks for his obliging letter, which I would have answered by this con- 

 veyance, but I had not time ; but it shall not remain long unanswered. My 

 best compliments and kind remembrances also to Mr George Rodwell. Should 

 you ever by pleasure or business be induced to visit Suffolk, I should be ex- 

 tremely happy to have the pleasure of your company at Barham for a few days. 

 My cabinet is tolerably rich both in indigenous and foreign insects. 



" I have enclosed a list of my desiderata with respect to Ent. Brit.' that you 

 may not have the trouble of sending me insects that I am already possessed* of. 

 If you could do the same with respect to your own insects, I should better 

 know what to send. I have referred above to Gravenhorst's ' Insecta Micro- 

 ptera Brunsvicensia :' it is the most complete work upon Staphylinus, Linn, 

 that has yet appeared. And now my paper admonishes me that it is time to 

 assure you that I am, Sir, 



" Your obliged and obedient, humble servant, 



WM. KIRBY." 



These two letters are given in full, as specimens of the way in which 

 our entomological correspondence was carried on, but from the remain- 

 ing twenty-seven letters which passed between us up to October 22. 

 1808 (most of them very long, one of mine accompanying 214 insects 

 sent to Mr. Kirby, with remarks on them, filling sixteen ordinary folio 

 pages, which received an answer occupying almost as many), I shall give 

 only extracts, as the letters themselves being purely scientific would 

 have no interest for the general reader, and not much for the entomo- 

 logist, now that the points we so earnestly discussed as to identity of 

 species, &c., have been mostly long since settled : 



"Barham, March 6th, 1806. 



" Dear Sir, After thanking you, which I do very heartily for your kind 

 and intelligent letter, I shall proceed immediately to business, lest I should not 

 find this sheet long enough for what I have to say." 



Then follow three closely written pages of comments on my remarks 

 and queries as to his observations on the insects I sent him, and the 

 letter concludes as below: 



" And now, my dear Sir, I think you will be almost inclined to say, Well 

 here's a Roland for my Oliver. I fear you will not get through my disserta- 

 tions with so little tedium as I did yours. I beg you will never apologise to 

 me for the queries you propose, for they lead to useful inquiries and the acqui- 

 sition of knowledge, and mutually improve us in our favourite science. I shall 

 be much disappointed, indeed, if, when you make your journey to London, you 

 do not return via Barham ; it is only going two sides of an obtuse-angled 

 triangle ; if it was time of peace, vessels are often sailing from Ipswich to 

 Hull. From London here, is about 72 miles, Cambridge 49 ; you know I 

 imagine how far it is from thence to Hull, Lynn, probably would be the 

 shortest way. Pray remember me very kindly to Mr. George Rodwell, and 

 tell him his brother and sister here are both well. I had a letter from Mr. 

 Marsham the other day ; he was well. I expect another to-morrow. I shall 

 be glad to fill up any vacancies in your cabinet in my power, and, therefore, 

 request your list of desiderata. I have, I suppose, the best part of 1000 Cole- 

 optera sent by my Swedish correspondent, Major Gyllenhal, by which I am 

 enabled to ascertain a large proportion of PaykulPs insects, and I have many 

 English you will not see elsewhere. If you collect foreign insects you will see 

 here the best collection of foreign Hymenoptera, I believe, now in England, 



