December, 1913 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 117 



Cambridge, especially for letters. It was rewarded by finding 

 a large package, tied up with Dr. Harris' usual methodical care. 

 All of the Harris correspondence hitherto found was deposited 

 with the Boston Society of Natural History. In the new dis- 

 covery are six letters from John Abbott, of Georgia, some with 

 the water color drawings which made Abbott famous in ento- 

 mological history. These are soon to be reproduced in the 

 Journal of the New York Entomological Society. No men- 

 tion has been made so far of John Abbott, for he was not a 

 coleopterist, nor was he a scientist, even, in the ordinary ac- 

 ceptance of the word. Moreover he was a man of mystery. 

 It is not known whether he was English or Irish. He went to 

 Georgia to become the private tutor of a lad of a wealthy fam- 

 ily. While there, he observed closely and drew beautifully a 

 large number of lepidoptera and plants. Of their generic or 

 specific determination he knew little. A large number of de- 

 scriptions were sent to England and were worked up by J. F. 

 Smith. A work, published in their joint names is still famous, 

 dated 1797. John Francillon, the Strand goldsmith, knew 

 Abbott and bought the beetles of his catch, but Francillon kept 

 his secret, just as nowadays collectors are not disposed to tell 

 where their uniques can be duplicated. At the Francillon sale 

 these very Abbott beetles were bought by Kirby, out of 

 months of savings. 



Abbott must have been an old man at the time of the Harris 

 correspondence, since his great work was published in 1797. 

 He quoted prices to Harris, $6 per hundred for insects collected 

 and $1.00 for each 16 water color drawings such as those as 

 appear in his book. He mentions that Major J. E. Leconte 

 had purchased about 3000 of these drawings. What has be- 

 come of them ? At the price, the demand would be unlimited 

 today. 



Anent the collections of those days, bisulphide of carbon 

 and chloroform were unknown, and infestation by Anthrenus 

 or Dermestes was a serious matter. Dr. Harris made a sheet 

 metal receptacle, which he connected with a steam pipe. 

 Boxes were put into it and the temperature raised to the point 

 where the pests were killed. This was the best that could be 

 done and collections were sent to the Doctor from far and near 



