5014 Natural-History Collectors. 



" I have looked for the fresh-water sponge here without success at 

 present ; when waters sink it is found on branches of trees in Ygapos, 

 &c. There is no want of Ygapos here, — many miles of gloomy hol- 

 lows in the forest: it will be curious if the sponge is only found 

 in Hack waters, the Tapajos being black, whilst the Amazons and 

 creeks here are white ; in the same way I cannot find here either 

 orchids or ferns (except two very small species). 



" I am very sorry to hear of the damage done to my collection at 

 the Custom-house; that was the best box, and, in fact, I think, the very 

 best box of butterflies I have ever sent: no one knows the days and 

 weeks of patient search that collection cost me ; those beautiful little 

 Erycinidae were so very rare, and Alta do Chao was the only place in 

 which I had seen many of the species ; I am sure many of the grand 

 Diurnes, now so highly prized, will become common in collections long 

 before these Erycinidae." 



" Villa Nova, December 15th, 1854. 



" I now send you the result of three months' further labour at this 

 place. Upon the whole I consider it a poor locality ; which I attri- 

 bute to the want of creeks of running water and moist places in 

 the forest. The last collection I sent was on the l'2th of September, 

 which I hope arrived safe. There is notljBfcg particular, I think, 

 to call your attention to in the present correction : I hope the fine 

 Agrias is new to you, as it is to me ; there is also a new Eueides and 

 some beautiful Hesperiae. With regard to the various orders for other 

 things I have from different friends, I can do scarcely anything at 

 present. For Dr. Latham I have done nothing (because impossible 

 here), except getting the exact colour of some few Indians ; I cannot 

 get the hair here, as the few Manhes in domestic service here are 

 kept so close cropped. In feathered dresses, weapons (except bows), 

 height, proportions, &c. of a number of full-grown individuals, 1 can- 

 not do anything without making a special voyage to the villages of 

 the pure blood Indians, which would take me two months. I have a 

 number of notes on the subject of Indiaus, in which I make out that 

 the whole mass of nations is strongly marked into two distinct classes, 

 &c. ; this, by-and-bye, I will communicate to Dr. Latham, if it be 

 interesting to him, but first I should like to see what Mr. Wallace's 

 observations are on the same subject. 



" In economic Botany I have only two subjects collected here, not 

 worth sending by themselves, one of them is the Piao (Pinhao, Lhul. 



