Correspondence of Mr. Bates. 3353 



fitably since the 8th instant, when I packed off everything by the 

 " Windsor." I have taken 260 not common species, of which about 

 35 species appear quite new to me. I think they will reach you in 

 excellent condition, as I have taken every possible precaution ; they 

 leave my hands in a beautiful state. I only wish you were here to see 

 them. The rarer Erycinidse and Theclae you may be assured, when 

 good, are well worth a very high price, as after three years' collecting 

 I still find them excessively rare ; their value will increase in Europe 

 when all the countries are well explored, and their excessive rarity 

 well ascertained. 



I received your usual welcome letter by the "Aive," acknowledging 

 the receipt of my last Ega collection ; I now regret not having worked 

 the Ega district better, but under the circumstances in which I was 

 placed, 1 could do no more. I wrote you at length per " Windsor," 

 sending you a good collection, with a paper for Mr. Newman; and 

 some sheets of notes of the Diurnes sent then, I wished you to hand 

 to Mr, Hewitson, for arrangement and publication, with his remarks, 

 descriptions of new species, &c. I should be happy to assist Mr. H. 

 with information of habits, &c. 



The yellow fever is still bad here : this week all the crew of a 

 Hamburgh vessel in port died one by one, — the captain, two mates, 

 cook and men : worse than Africa ! My health, and indeed that of 

 the town residents generally, is very good. 



The two kinds of fossil shells are from a tertiary bed at Salinas, on 

 the coast. The weapons are what I had intended to have taken with 

 me home, with others I have given away. The lances are of beauti- 

 ful wood from the Japura. I could perhaps send a chest full of such 

 curiosities, if they would sell. The aquatic Didelphys is very curi- 

 ously stuffed by an old negro here, a servant of Dr. Natterer ; it lives 

 in brooks, feeding on fish. The three snakes are rare ; two are from 

 Macapa. Some few of the Coleoptera in bad order are from Marajo : 

 T thought the Calosoma good. H. W. Bates. 



The above collection has just reached me in fine order; and consi- 

 dering how much Para and the neighbourhood has been worked lately 

 by Messrs. Bates and Wallace, it is surprizing to see so many new 

 and fresh things in this little collection. The species of Erycinidae 

 and Theclae appear endless. It is a wonderfully rich country for but- 

 terflies. Samuel Stevens. 



24, Bloomsbury Street, London, 

 January 11, 1852. 



X. G 



