H. T. STAINTON AND B. D. WALSH. 277 



at all times be most happy to do so to the best of my ability. 



***** 

 I was extremely interested in your notice of the habits of 

 the larva of Batrachedra salicipomonella. As far as I can 

 yet learn our B. pr&angusta is not a gall-feeder, but I cannot 

 say that I yet know the whole of its history. 



H. T. STAINTON. 



KOCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, 

 August 12th, 1867. 



H. T. STAINTON, Esq. 



%. 



YOUR very agreeable letter of July 23rd came to hand 

 a few days ago. 



I have nothing to tell you of the latter days of poor 

 Dr. Clemens, except what I learnt from his letters. 



In 1861 he dropped me as a correspondent just as he did 

 you; and from August 12th, 1860, to July 5th, 1863, 

 I never heard a word from him. At the latter date he men- 

 tions having received a letter from you ; so it could not have 

 miscarried. Then follows another long gap in our corre- 

 spondence of 14 months, and on Septr. 4th, 1864, he " hopes 

 that, when the present political conditions are replaced by 

 purer and more humane principles when we are once again 

 under a government of law and not fanaticism to turn again 

 to the quiet and absorbing pursuits of science." 



Then another gap of 10 months, to July 21st, 1865, when 

 he remarks that " other duties have so absorbingly demanded 

 attention, that for the past few years he [Dr. C.] has for- 

 gotten to collect, observe, or write." After that date the 

 Civil War being then over, and the late rebels in high spirits 

 again I heard from him pretty frequently. 



The truth of the matter, I suppose, is that Clemens had 

 connections in Virginia, and for aught I know may have 

 been a Virginian by birth ; and throughout the war his sym- 

 pathies were with the South. For myself I am an ultra- 

 radical, and if I recollect rightly, I answered his sneers at 



