4 LETTERS TO HIS BROTHER 



p. 250. Pray observe what they feed on ; and enquire into 

 their manner of nidification. Your butterfly-like insect with 

 long remiform wings is curious and rare, and proves to be 

 the Panorpa eoa Lin.: you see it is to be found in few places; 

 and Scopoli knows nothing of it, though Carniola lies in a 

 warm latitude. Send some more specimens. Pray observe 

 how and where they breed. I suspect much that they come 

 from the water, where they perhaps are hatched like the 

 Ephemerce (may flies) and the Pltryganece (cadews). 



Here it will be proper to remark that Lin. is too general in 

 some of his assertions : too many exceptions occur under his 

 general rules : as you must have already observed in the 

 course of your reading the Syst. Nat. 



You will be pleased to observe whether your ant-catching 

 Sphex (for a Sphex I certainly think it was, though we soon 

 lost our single small specimen) does not carry it's prey to it's 

 nest in order to feed it's maggots : in and with what sub- 

 stance does it make it's nest? I have named it Sphex formi- 

 carum falco. 



The insect with a long slender petiolus between the thorax 

 and abdomen is a fine sort of Ichneumon. 



Look after the genus of birds called Petrels ; they are very 

 peculiar in their way of life, and are in the Atlantic ; perhaps 

 may enter the Streights. 



I am glad you begin to relish Linn. : there is nothing to 

 be done in the wide boundless field of Nat. Hist. Avithout 

 system. Now you are master of the ordlnes, you must attend 

 to the genera, and make yourself well acquainted with the 

 terms. Study well the introductions to the classes, and see 

 how the terms are explained. 



Look still for the Myrmeleon (lion pismire) Syst. Nat. p. 913. 

 It has jaws like a wasp ; 4 pretty long palpi (feelers), no stem- 

 mata ; pimples like crowns on it's head ; antennas clavatce ! ! 

 Andalusia, I should think, must produce it. 



Your embassy to Morocco, when well drawn up, will make 

 a good chapter in your History. Did you make no remarks 

 on the country ? You are to remember that you will want 

 an abundance of matter to fill up 200 or 300 pages : and no 



