16 
About the middle of August, 1857, he was ordered to Mississippi, 
where the remaiuder of the seasou was spent in visiting cotton planta- 
tions in different portions of the State. It was a hard season for him, as 
he was sick during the greater portion of the time, often being con- 
fined to his bed. An entry in his journal October 6 is characteris- 
tic. “ Quarrel betweeu doctors, so I have to dismiss one, and the other 
says it is no use to attend. Saved my life by it.’* 
It is worthy of mention that at this time his observations were not 
confined to entomology alone, but to all branches of natural history. 
Indeed, he let nothing new escape him in any field of experience, his 
“ mems.” indicating observations upon insects other tnan affecting cot- 
ton, cotton diseases, soils and earths, vegetation, birds, animals, reptiles, 
Indian mounds, and even human nature. 
The year 1858 marks the period of his investigations upon orange 
insects, he having been ordered to Florida in the latter part of April, 
where he remained throughout the season. It was an eventful year ? 
inasmuch as it was marked by events which later on led to his severing 
his connection with the Patent Office, and beginning his work on ento- 
mology. 
He now had made the acquaintance of Baron Osten Sacken, Dr. 
Morris, Mr. Uhler, and other of the earlier American entomological 
authorities, and had become a member of the Washington Naturalists’ 
Club. In the records of his life at this period are frequent occurrences 
of the names of Professors Henry, Baird, Girard, Drs Hayden, Kenm- 
cott, Clemens, Forman, Meek, Messrs. Ulke, Cooper, and others, with 
allusions to prominent Senators and Congressmen of the day. It was 
almost at the beginning of this year, too, that the first evidences of 
Iriction between himself and his immediate superior officer became 
apparent. He was working at this time upon the plates of his Cotton 
Insects and Diseases, besides engraving special plates for publication 
in the annual volume, under the direction of his superior, D. J. Browne. 
In January we find such brief entries as the following: “Blow up 
with B. about article on plows.” — “At work etching tea-plant.” — 
“Writing reply to weevil article.” — “Row about sorghum.” 
In February : “ Heard at Browne’s about Kennicott wanting Fitch 
here.” — “ Bothering about bees for Browne. Made sketch ; not right.” — 
“ Etching and fussing about the bee plate for B., as he don’t know what 
he wants.” — “ Evening at B.’s; he will write all my reports himself, and 
makes an ass of himself and a tool of me. Don’t and won’t acknowl- 
edge it, as I have never written a word of what he says, and he has not 
looked at my report yet.” 
In March: “Evening at Girard’s, who advises me to stay, although 
D. J. B. will make a false report of me.” — “Another row with D. J. B. 
He must be crazy.” 
In April : “ Browne at my room, evening, grumbling about Dr. Hig- 
gins trying to supersede him ; he has got an idea (Heaven knows why) 
