APPENDIX. 581 



you may find with respect to your insects). Mrs. Kirby went to our party [a 

 weekly evening one], when the mail-coach horn blew, and the coach stopped: 

 my servant went to the gate. In the interim, a gentleman got out, met the ser- 

 vant, left not his name but his compliments, and he would call the following day: 

 then again mounted and disappeared. We were all puzzled who it should be; 

 and I thought it must be Joseph Hooker (who is coming to-night), obliged by 

 some circumstance to ante-date his visit. I sent my man in the morning, 

 thinking it possible the gentleman might have stopped at Claydon, to request 

 his company at breakfast. When he came, instead of Hooker, I saw the coun- 

 tenance of a perfect stranger, who said his name was Peck; that he was an 

 American, and had been at Norwich with Dr. Smith, but that he had brought 

 no letter of introduction, and that he came on purpose to see me. Though he 

 spoke English well, I thought his accent rather French, and his having no 

 vouchers were unpleasant circumstances; but I thought there could be no harm 

 in showing him my cabinet. His observations showed me that he understood 

 the subject, and was a man of considerable information in Natural History. 

 He promised to send me a publication of his upon Tenlhredo Cerasi, seemed 

 much gratified with what he saw, and professed himself greatly obliged. Upon 

 the whole, I was much pleased with him, and it was doing some violence to 

 myself that I did not ask him to take a bed at my house ; but his want of 

 introductory letters and vouchers of any kind would have made that an impru- 

 dent step . . . ." 



"Barham, Jan. 7, 1808. 



" * Barham ! ! ! So, then, the rector of Barham is not dead, as I imagined ! ' 

 This, my dear sir, would be a very natural exclamation upon seeing a letter 

 from me. It is necessary, therefore, that I should make some apology for not 

 sooner sending the boxes [of insects] and for my long silence . . . . As to 

 writing, I have been as deeply immersed in theology as yourself in political 

 economy, so that I have not cast my eye upon an insect for months; and having 

 nothing to write about, I did not think a letter of common chit-chat would pay 

 the postage " 



We now come to the origin of the " Introduction to Entomology," the 

 history of which will be best given by quoting the passages in our letters 

 referring to it. 



In the three or four letters I received from Mr. Kirby in the summer 

 of 1808, nothing occurs generally interesting. In that of October 12, 

 after three folio pages of remarks on insects f had sent him, or in answer 

 to queries as to former ones, he observes at its close : 



" I attend to what you say with respect to pointing out the differences between 

 allied species, and shall do my best in that way. I think it is now time to spare 

 your eyes, which will have some difficulty in making out this scrawl. I have 

 heard nothing lately either from Marsham or M'Leay. Ent. Brit.' * I fear will 

 never go on. A general English work on British Entomology I am sure would 

 sell. Marsham could never have time to do it. You and I in partnership 

 might very well, if it could be without hurting his feelings, and an English 

 work properly would not interfere with his Latin one : let foreigners afterwards, 

 if they liked, translate it. As your time is not taken up by secular business, 

 you could occasionally come here for a few weeks, each having specified genera 



* Marsham's "Entomologia Britannica." 

 p p 3 



