5018 Natural-History Collectors. 



"September 1. — After many delays the schooner, I hear, starts on 

 the 5th. We have had a long run of heavy, wet and squally weather; 

 the dry season is two months backward, and the Lepidoptera have not 

 appeared so abundantly as they should have done. We have had a 

 dull time of it ; the steamer only comes once in three months, no 

 sailing vessels have arrived, and we have no bread, hard or soft, or 

 butter, or any European luxuries. I have gone on, however, quietly, 

 as usual : up early, a walk, bath and breakfast ; then out with my 

 boxes, selecting the new species and stowing away duplicates, until 

 9.30 a.m., when the sun is out hot, and it is time to be off to the 

 forest. I have scarcely missed a day, except Sundays, and never re- 

 turn without bringing a species new to me ; general average, four or 

 five a-day new. Yesterday I got two new Lamellicorns (one Ano- 

 mala, one Isonychus) and one extraordinary and large Necydalis, quite 

 new. To-day got another new Longicorn. A few days ago I got a 

 most splendid new Prionidae {i. e. new to science), being a Sterna- 

 canthus, of which there was only one species known before. Of these 

 things there scarcely ever turns up a second specimen, so that my 

 private collection here abounds in beautiful unique specimens of new 

 species. When you consider the great pleasure there is in this, and 

 at the same time the liberty and independence of this kind of life, — 

 the tolerable good living (turtle, fresh fish, game, fowls, &c), — the 

 suavity of the climate, &c, you will readily understand why I am dis- 

 inclined to return to the slavery of English mercantile life. One great 

 privation, however, I suffer and feel acutely — the want of frequent 

 receipt of letters, books, newspapers and magazines. Since May last 

 I have not received one line of letter or page of English literature ! — 

 the stirring news of war I get only through the miserable, brief notices 

 in Brazilian newspapers. 



" I am afraid I shall not be able to send you many species of 

 Geodephaga ; this country is known to be poor in that family ; not 

 one Carabus, and only half-a-dozen Cicindelae. The English Geode- 

 phaga make a better show than the Amazonian. We are tolerably 

 rich in Brachinidae, especially Casnonia, Agra, Lebia, Cordistes and 

 Calleida, but none are common. There are here, at Ega, fifteen 

 species, perhaps, of Agra; but I cannot get half-a-dozen specimens of 

 any one. 



" Ega is wonderfully rich in Erotyli : in the woods, after a shower, 

 you meet with great fellows, some nearly an inch long, gay in vivid 

 red, black and yellow colours ; they become dull after death. I have 

 now about sixty species of large fine Erotyli and Triplax. Longicorns 



