112 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society Vol. VIIl 



tions, hard cider and log cabins, Tippecanoe songsters, office expectants, 

 and superabundance of revivals and piety. My intention was to be off 

 again after a few days for the South, to repair there my entomological 

 losses; however Pastor Morris and some other friends, and the big snow, 

 and a very comfortable boarding house kept me there till Spring 1840. 

 Then I received letters from Europe announcing the death of my Father, 

 which altered my intentions and plans and gave me much to do and to 

 arrange in family concerns. Waiting for farther particulars I remain 

 in a village (Franklin) near Baltimore all Summer, catching insects, 

 playing the piano, falling in love and getting on my legs again. At 

 length, in September, I went to New York, where I got another letter 

 from home stating the death of my Mother. This blasted my intention 

 to pay you a visit, entirely, and I even could not write to you. I saw 

 however our old friend, Mr. Willcox, who showed me a Goliath, got by him 

 at Boston, and told me that he had bought from Mr. Townsend the Co- 

 lumbia River insects then in your hands! ! ! Would these insects have been 

 sold, to make a figure hereafter in some European collection, if the cele- 

 brated Society at Philadelphia had any sense for entomology? Hearing 

 that you wished to keep them yourself, I did all I could to prompt Mr. 

 Willcox to hand me over his rights, for something like a good bargain, to 

 make you a present with them. . . .in vain! Two days after I returned 

 to Baltimore, which I after a week left for the South. Since then I have 

 spent the greater part of my time here at Columbia, to get again at well 

 known parts and regions all tho.se species formerly found there. I have 

 pretty well succeeded, and am now about to leave here, and go (next 

 week) to Rockingham (Richmond County, North Carolina) where I have 

 bought a fine garden, and mean to put up a fine cocoonery during this 

 Summer. From there I shall direct very often a letter to you, and I 

 expect you will soon write and direct your letters to me there. 



Since I left Baltimore I had to write so many letters to my Sister and 

 relations in Europe, that I postponed all communications with my friends 

 in this country, not knowing exactly, if I should be long enough on one 

 and the same place, or remain in this country at all. Therefore did not 

 your letter reach me sooner, for Mr. Morris did not know where to direct 

 it, and it would have arrived later yet, but for my purchase at Rocking- 

 ham. Then I wrote to him and reported him to send my books and in- 

 sects, and with his answer I received your letter, too. 



In report of my collection I am happy to say, that it has increased 

 considerably, though the number of species falls very short of what I 

 possessed formerly. I also received many books, among which is the 

 whole of Dejean's writings, Fischer's Entomographie, the Annales of 

 Paris etc. In my leisure hours I shall now write a catalogue of my collec- 

 tion, for you know, that I am fond of entomological studies; but though 

 agreeable to me, entomology IS NOT, WAS NOT and NEVER WILL 

 BE a bit more than an object of recreation in leisure hours. I am there- 

 fore never troubled with other people's collections, and least of all with 

 public collections. I also believe, that all public collections of insects are 



