APPENDIX. 581 
you tay find with respect to your insects). Mrs. Kirby went to our party [a 
weekly evening one}, when the mail-coach horn blew, and the coach stopped: 
my servant went to the gate. In the interim, a gentleman got out, met the ser- 
yant, left not his name but his compliments, and he would call the following day: 
then again mounted and disappeared. We were all puzzled who it should be; 
and I thought it must be Joseph Hooker (who is, coming to-night), obliged by 
some circumstance to ante-date his visit. I sent my man in the morning, 
thinking it possible the gentleman might have stopped at Claydon, to request 
his company at breakfast. When he came, instead of Hooker, I saw the coun- 
tenance of a perfect stranger, who said his name was Peck; that he was an 
American, and had been at Norwich with Dr. Smith, but that he had brought 
no letter of introduction, and that he came on purpose to see me. Though he 
spoke English well, I thought his accent rather Trench, and his having no 
vouchers were unpleasant circumstances; but I thought there could be no harm 
in showing him my cabinet. His observations showed me that he understood 
the subject, and was a man of considerable information in Natural History. 
He promised to send me a publication of his upon Jenthredo Cerasi, seemed 
much gratified with what he saw, and professed himself greatly obliged. Upon 
the whole, I was much pleased with him, and it was doing some violence to. 
myself that I did not ask him to take a bed at my house; but his went of 
introductory letters and vouchers of any kind would have made that an impru- 
dent step... .” 
“Barham, Jan. 7, 1808. 
“Barham !!1 So, then, the rector of Barham is not dead, as I imagined! 
This, my dear sir, would be a very natural exclamation upon seeing a letter 
from me. It is necessary, therefore, that I should make some apology for not 
sooner sending the boxes [of insects] and for my long silence... . As to 
writing, Ihave been as deeply immersed in theology as yourself in political 
economy, so that I have not cast my eye upon an insect for months; and having 
nothing to write about, I did not think a letter of common chit-chat would pay 
the postage, . .. .” 
We now come to the origin of the “Introduction to Entomology,” the 
history of which will be best given by quoting the passages in our letters 
veferring to it. 
In the three or four letters I received from Mr. Kirby in the summer 
of 1808, nothing occurs generally interesting. In that of October 12, 
after three folio pages of remarks on insects [ had sent him, or in answer 
to queries as to former ones, he observes at its close : — 
“T attend to what you say with respect to pointing out the differences between 
allied species, and shall do my best in that way. I thinkit is now time to spare 
your eyes, which will have some difficulty in making out this scrawl. I have 
heard nothing lately either from Marsham or M‘Leay. ‘Wnt. Brit.’* I fear will 
never goon. A general Hnglish work on British Entomology I am sure would 
sell, Marsham could never have time to do it, You and I in partnershi 
might very well, if it could be without hurting his feelings, and an Englis 
work properly would not interfere with his Latin one: let foreigners afterwards, 
if they liked, translate it. As your time is not taken up by secular business, 
you could occasionally come here for a few weeks, each having specified genera 
* Marsham’s “Entomologia Britannica.” 
PP3 
