Designing an insect cabinet
Full transcription
Neath, Oct: 13th. 1845.
D[ea]r. Sir
I send you insects you mentioned would be acceptable to you - and also a Biston Betularia I took 3 of at Leicester.
Galeruca ustica I have only taken one specimen of, but shall endeavour to get more next year - I am very much obliged to you for your long letter which has given me much pleasure& if you can spare the time I shall hope for another -
The difference between Donacia impressa & D. Linearis is very slight but I think & hope I am right in the species. I have taken Atopa cervina, here and also Serica brunnea, one of each also one Cryptocephalus minutus - and near London by beating in an oak tree I took one of the Buprestidae, a small speices "Agrilis viridis".
I have taken also "Sphaerula Lythri"a small species of the Curculionidae, which perhaps you know. I shall be much obliged to you for any of the following of which you can send me good specimens.
Chlaenius vestitus
Ophonus azureus
Chrysomela hyperici
Brachinus crepitans
Donacia dentata
D. nigra - if you have any duplicates
Agonium marginatum
Dromius melanocephalus
D. angustatus.
Helops striatus.
Please name them -
I shall be glad of any butterflies you have to share -Argyrium Aglaia or any other of the large fritillaries Hipparchia Galathea & Thecla quercusboth which I believe are Leicester species.
I have considerable thoughts of setting up a Cabinet myself this winter - I have been thinking how to have it made the best & most economical method - How do you think it would do to have the drawers made with a groove at the top &the glass nicely squashed to slide in& fit tight, with a piece at the end to finish up the square of the box -I think it would save the expense of a separate frame for the glass. How is Mr Kirby's made? - Has he one of the sides made double so as to leave a space for Camphor - that is very necessary
I quite despair of ever getting a good collection of moths - I have had specimens of a good many species but very few good ones -The "rubi" larvae I shall not attempt to rear this winter - I do not see why I should not find some in the spring I have a very fine male moth of Lasiocampa Quercus from a larva I took at Leicester
What Books do you get from the "Ray Society"? and are they such as you could not purchase for the Guinea elsewhere? -"Colias Hyale" (if you were sure of the species) was I should think the rarest Leicestershire Insects you have seen-I send the Insects in a small collecting Box, which will be I think quite safe.
[written vertically at the right hand side of the page
over the top of the horizontal text]
I remain
Yours sincerely
[signed] Alfred R. Wallace
[to] Mr H.W. Bates
D[ea]r. Sir
I send you insects you mentioned would be acceptable to you - and also a Biston Betularia I took 3 of at Leicester.
Galeruca ustica I have only taken one specimen of, but shall endeavour to get more next year - I am very much obliged to you for your long letter which has given me much pleasure& if you can spare the time I shall hope for another -
The difference between Donacia impressa & D. Linearis is very slight but I think & hope I am right in the species. I have taken Atopa cervina, here and also Serica brunnea, one of each also one Cryptocephalus minutus - and near London by beating in an oak tree I took one of the Buprestidae, a small speices "Agrilis viridis".
I have taken also "Sphaerula Lythri"a small species of the Curculionidae, which perhaps you know. I shall be much obliged to you for any of the following of which you can send me good specimens.
Chlaenius vestitus
Ophonus azureus
Chrysomela hyperici
Brachinus crepitans
Donacia dentata
D. nigra - if you have any duplicates
Agonium marginatum
Dromius melanocephalus
D. angustatus.
Helops striatus.
Please name them -
I shall be glad of any butterflies you have to share -Argyrium Aglaia or any other of the large fritillaries Hipparchia Galathea & Thecla quercusboth which I believe are Leicester species.
I have considerable thoughts of setting up a Cabinet myself this winter - I have been thinking how to have it made the best & most economical method - How do you think it would do to have the drawers made with a groove at the top &the glass nicely squashed to slide in& fit tight, with a piece at the end to finish up the square of the box -I think it would save the expense of a separate frame for the glass. How is Mr Kirby's made? - Has he one of the sides made double so as to leave a space for Camphor - that is very necessary
I quite despair of ever getting a good collection of moths - I have had specimens of a good many species but very few good ones -The "rubi" larvae I shall not attempt to rear this winter - I do not see why I should not find some in the spring I have a very fine male moth of Lasiocampa Quercus from a larva I took at Leicester
What Books do you get from the "Ray Society"? and are they such as you could not purchase for the Guinea elsewhere? -"Colias Hyale" (if you were sure of the species) was I should think the rarest Leicestershire Insects you have seen-I send the Insects in a small collecting Box, which will be I think quite safe.
[written vertically at the right hand side of the page
over the top of the horizontal text]
I remain
Yours sincerely
[signed] Alfred R. Wallace
[to] Mr H.W. Bates
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