32 MEMOIR OF DRTJRY. 



to let any thing of that kind disappoint my exp 

 tations, which I assure you are very sanguine. 

 " I am, with the utmost respect, 



" Your most sincere Friend and 



cc Humble Servant, 



" D. DRURY." 



It was Drury's practice, whenever he became 

 acquainted with any one about to visit a foreign 

 country and willing to take some trouble in collect- 

 ing insects, to supply him with a series of boxes 

 similar to those alluded to in the above letter, for- 

 ceps, nets, &c. as well as written instructions how to 

 proceed ; promising at the same time to defray all 

 the expense that might be incurred, and reward the 

 collector in a manner proportionate to the value ot 

 his acquisitions. Such individual was generally em 

 powered to engage others, after reaching the place 

 of his destination, on similar terms. The number 

 of those who were thus induced to offer their services 

 was very great, and they were scattered over almost 

 every country of the globe. Among Drury's papers 

 we find a tabular list of the individuals who had 

 collecting apparatus entrusted to them, the names of 

 the vessels in which they sailed, their place of desti- 

 nation, and in many instances a notice of the returns 

 made to him in insects ; in very many cases, as may 

 readily be supposed, he never received any. In the 

 list for 1768 the names of between seventy and 

 eighty vessels occur, and in several of these he had 

 two or three different individuals engaged to col- 



