Jan., '92] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 9 



Letters from Thomas Say to John F. Melsheimer, 

 1816- 1825.— X. 



Philad^. May 9^."? 1822 — 

 Dear Sir ! 



Your much esteemed letter came duly to hand, & afforded 

 me much pleasure I assure you ; communications respecting 

 the insects the United States yield me the highest gratification 

 & therefore your letters are more acceptable than those of any 

 of my correspondents. I should have reciprocated that letter 

 long since, had I not been busily occupied with a portion of 

 the labour of compiling the narrative of our journey to the 

 Rocky Mountains. In addition to contributing my aid in the 

 ordinary diatribe of the work, it falls to my lot to describe the 

 new Quadripeds, birds & reptiles which we met with, as well 

 as to give an account, both moral and physical, of the natives 

 of the country through which we passed. The arranging and 

 recording of the Meteorological observations, made chiefly by 

 myself, also falls to my share of the duties, though the general 

 narrative is written by our companion Dr. James. It will 

 occupy two octavo volumes.* 



The description of Brentus dispar as recorded in the books, 

 corresponds very well with our species, when we take into 

 view your excellent observations on the thoracic colour of the 

 latter ; but notwithstanding this coincidence, I am still per- 

 plexed with doubt as to their specific identity for the following 

 reasons, viz. The B. dispar has been always acknowledged 

 (I mean in the books), to be a South American insect, & I 

 do not know that it has been, by any European Author, ex- 

 pressly .stated to have been received from N. Amer* . Latreille 

 particularizes its native country to be Cayenne. Now Cayenne 

 lies in the 4th or 5th degree of N. latitude, which is 36 degrees 



* Account of an expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains 



under the command of Major Stephen H. Long. From the notes 



of Major Long, Mr. T. Say, compiled by Edwin James • 



2 vols., Philadelphia, 1823. Beyond his connection with the zoologica 

 data of this work, it does not seem to have been Icnown that Say contrib 

 uted such a large portion of it. In the preface he receives credit for his 

 notes in a general way only. — W. J. F. 



