582 APPENDIX. 
and looking over each other’s descriptions. I think we should show foreigners 
we are not so backward in this science as they imagine us to be. 
* Parewell, and believe me to be, 
“Yours very. truly, 
“Wu. Kirpy.” 
The preceding letter was followed by another long one from Mr. 
Kirby, dated November 15th, wholly occupied by a synopsis of the 
families, and sections of his Monograph of the Staphylinide, on which he 
was then hard at work. My reply, dated Drypool, November 23rd, 
1808, to these two and a former letter was chiefly filled by remarks on 
this synopsis, and on his paper on Apion, in the Linnean “Transactions,” 
and by giving an outline of my proposed Monograph of the genus Cho- 
leva: after which it proceeded as follows : — 
“TJ will not here attempt to reply to the whole of the three valuable letters 
for which I am indebted to you since my last ...... At present I must only 
advert to two of their topics, — your hint relative to a co-partnership English 
‘Entomologia Britannica,’ and your remarks on the Linnean cabinet. ‘The 
former scheme much pleased me, for, would you think it? the very same idea 
some time ago glanced across my mind. Ihave nothing more at heart than 
being able to contribute to the-advance of our science in this country, and in 
thinking on an English description of our insects, the only mode of effecting 
this, the thought has struck me, ‘could not my friend, Kirby and I manage 
such a work?’ I dismissed the idea as a mere pleasing fancy, partly from the 
reason you allude to,—the fear that our friend’s feelings might suffer, and 
partly because I know you are at present otherwise engaged. But really, on 
second thoughts, when confirmed by the similarity of yours, the plan docs not 
want feasibility. As Mr. Marsham certainly cannot himself take any share in 
an English work, he could not be sorry that others undertook it, and so far 
from interfering with his Latin one, it would, indeed, greatly assist the sale.. 
On the whole, I am inclined to think your scheme well worthy of further con- 
sideration, and I think we should not lose sight of it. I should, to be sure, be 
but a sorry partner in the concern, but my knowledge of German might be of 
some use, and greater dispatch might be made by two than one. My idea is, 
that such a work should be published in numbers or parts, monthly or quar- 
terly. We should thus have more time; purchasers would more easily be 
found; and from these, which would rather be the materials of a more perfect 
work than a complete ‘Entomologia Britannica,’ eventually a regular work 
might be fabricated. The greatest obstacle with me is the risk of its not pay- 
ing itself. Having tasted the sweets of literary profit (I got my bookseller's 
account a few weeks since: my six editions of ‘ Britain independent of Com- 
merce,’ leave about 230/. clear, — the first of the ‘Radical Cause of the present 
Distresses of the West India Planters,’ 30/.; the second of this last, and my 
last pamphlets, are yet unsettled; my expense of advertising was about 80/,,— 
what a parenthesis ! pray don’t hold your breath to the close of the sentence), 
T should not like to lose by such an undertaking, though I should not care if it 
only paid its way. But it is too bad to give one’s labour, and lose money into 
the bargain, I confess I am not so sanguine as you on this head. I fear we 
could not expect a greater sale than Konig and Sims had for their ‘Annals of 
Botany,’ which did not answer. And yet, surely 250 English entomologists 
could be had for purchasers ; and if so, by charging a good price, I think it 
might be made to pay, if published in parts. The best plan to ensure success 
would be to have a respectable bookseller engaged with one. But to me there 
appears a desideratum whose acquisition would greatly contribute to the suc- 
