you was in America? If you did, what did you call it? This little plant grows in moist, shady woodlands, generally under the Betula and Pinus. The root, when fresh, resembles cocoa, but of a much finer flavor. It seems to be highly nutritious. If you found this plant, you will doubtless recognize the specimen. You will much oblige me by giving your opinion respecting it.

If you should wish to receive any specimens of any particular plants from this part of America, you have only to signify it. It will give me pleasure to be favored with your correspondence on botanical or any other subject in Natural Science. I have the honor to be, etc.,

MANASSEH CUTLER.

[From Baron Gustaf Paykull.*]

WALLOXSABY, NEAR UPSALE (SWEDEN), April 5, 1798. Sir:-The Baron Hermelin, who was traveling in America, and who is one of my best friends, has informed me that you wished to enter into a correspondence with a Swedish naturalist. I seize this opportunity with eagerness. As a pupil of Linnaeus I cultivated since twenty years all the different departments of zoology, and my collection became by my zeal and the great number of my correspondents one of the richest in Europe. But in spite of all my labors there are still wanted a great quantity of North American species, and I direct myself to your kindness for increasing this number. I would be very thankful for them, and I offer you a quantity. of mammalia, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, shell-fish, corals, zoophites, and worms, as well from Europe, Africa, and the West Indies, as from Sweden. I have bought the large collection of the celebrated Swedish traveler, Mr. Sparrman. I am in possession of a great many duplicates. I have

the honor of sending you a number of my works on Nat. History, among which you will find my Fauna Svecica, of which the first vol. has been published just now.

* Baron Gustaf Paykull, a Swedish naturalist, was born in Stockholm, 1757. He became First Secretary to the King, 1794, and Marshal of the Court in 1815. He wrote monographs on the Swedish Coleaptera and several dramas. He died in 1826.

In case you accept my proposition, and if you wish to send me something, please to direct the package to Mr. Grill, Consul General de sa Majeste Swedoir, in London, to be forwarded to Charles Afredson, Le Conseiller au College du Commerce, at Stockholm, and by him to Mr. Paykull. If there should be an opportunity for Hamburg, please direct it to Mr. Averhoff, Agent General de sa Majeste Swedoir, in order that it may be forwarded to Mr. Afredson or Mr. Paykull. I shall also send you my remittance by Mr. Grill or Averhoff. Please to send the letters which you will have the kindness to write to me to Mr. Grill, in London, directing them to Mr. Gustaf de Paykull, Conseille de la Chancellerie de sa Majeste Swedoir, membre des Academie de Sciences de Stockholm et Upsale, St. Petersburg, Florence, Siena, etc., a Upsale et Walloxsaba en Sweden. Be so kind as to honor me with your favor as soon as possible, and if you prefer it you may write in Latin or English. I have the honor to be, with great esteem, sir,

HAMILTON, NEAR SALEM,

IN MASSACHUSETTS, Feb. 14, 1799.

Dear Sir:-I had the honor, a few weeks ago, of receiving your favor of the 5th of April, 1798. A very severe indispo sition has prevented my answering it so soon as I wished to have done. It will give me much pleasure to comply with your requests, as far as will be in my power. The study of natural history in this country is in its infancy, especially in the northern states of America. No branch of science has been so little cultivated as the scientific knowledge of our own productions. This deficiency has been, in part, owing to the great scarcity of books on natural history. No branch of it has been taught in any of our universities. We have many public libraries, consisting of large and well chosen collections of books from Europe, excepting on the different branches of natural history, in which there are very few, and those mostly ancient authors who wrote before the Linnæan system was formed, and our booksellers import no books on this subject. I have never seen any of the works of Gmelin, nor do I know

that they are in America. The only works of any note that I have been able to obtain on the animal kingdom are Linn. Syst. Nat. Edito. decima tertia, Catesby's Hist. Carol., Hill's Nat. Hist., and Pennant's British Zoology, Edit. 4th, and Buffon. In the course of 10 years past, however, I have examined many of our indigenous animals, and have endeavored to arrange them agreeably to the Linnæan system. The specimens I have preserved have not been many, as I have not attempted to furnish myself with a cabinet. At this time I have not any number by me in a state that would be suitable to send to you, but will employ all my leisure to collect such as are to be found in this part of the country, and avail myself of the assistance of my friends at a distance to obtain those which are found only in remote parts of the back wilderness. Of the quadrupeds you mention we have species of the Vespertilio, Canis, Felix, Viverra, Mustela, Ursus, Talpa, Sorex, Mus, and Lepus, and some of the particular species you mention. But you have named many species that I do not find in Linn. Syst. Nat., nor in Pennant's Brit. Zool. As I do not know what the specific characters are, I can not determine whether we have them or not. The Erinaceus, Hystrix, Cervus Virg., Bos Americ., Trichesus, are not found in this part of America. Mephitis, Empetra, and Pruinosa, are Genera I do not find in Linn. or Pennant.

In all the specimens I send you I will endeavor to preserve all the generic and specific characters as far as possible, which will enable you to determine what they are. Of birds, fishes, reptiles, shells, zoophytes, and vermies, we have great numbers of different genera and species in this vicinity. I will endeavor to procure specimens and forward them as fast as possible. You see, however, how poorly I am prepared to arrange the specimens you request, on the account of the want of books, nor have I been much in the habit of preparing specimens, having only sent a few species to some correspondents in England. I suspect I am not acquainted with the best methods. We have no cabinets of natural history in America, excepting one in Philadelphia and another in Boston. These consist of small collections. without any systematic arrangement. They are kept merely for the purpose

of getting money by showing them to common people, and consist principally of exotics.

There has lately been a society instituted in Boston, by the style of American Historical Society, of which I am a member. The object of this society is to embrace natural history, and a room is now fitting up for a cabinet of natural productions. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has a small cabinet, but no specimens of the animal kingdom.

You are so obliging as to mention your intention to send me some of your own works in natural history. They will be highly acceptable, and received with gratitude and avidity. Particularly your Fauna Svecica. I have not been able to procure the work of Linnæus, which he has called by that name. Should it be convenient for you, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences would be much pleased with a set of your works. There is, I believe, no member of this society now living in Sweden, and should it be agreeable to you I shall be happy to nominate you to be one of their honorary members. I thank you for your kind offer of sending me specimens. Should you send me a small number of your duplicates, natives of the North of Europe, I shall be happy to deposit them in your name in the Cabinet of the Historical Society. I have the honor to be, with great respect,

[From B. F. Stickney.]

.

M. CUTLER.

SALEM, July 9, 1799. Dear Sir:-I have the pleasure to inform you (after many disappointments) that, on Wednesday last, I had the satisfaction of descending into the aquatic regions. I embarked about 8 o'clock in the morning, in company with five gentlemen who had employed the early part of their lives in navigating this element. It being calm, we did not arrive at our place of destination before twelve. After some difficulty in confining the ballast, we had all in readiness for descending about three. We chose shoal water for the first experiment, lest some accident might happen.

I now descended to the bottom in 12 feet of water, remained 20 minutes, and continued a free conversation with those above. I did not find any necessity for using my bellows, till

I then used them, and

I had been down eight minutes. found immediate relief. Nor was my situation in any way disagreeable, except the pressure of the water upon my arms, and taking in a small quantity of water, that was rather cold to my feet. But, to counterbalance these disagreeables, I had the pleasing prospect of seeing the natives of the element regardlessly sporting about me. With respect to our conversation, I accidentally observed that a low voice was more distinctly heard than a louder one. The person that was conversing with me did not understand something I said, and he desired the company, in a low voice, to cease talking, that he might hear what I said, and I found I heard this low voice much more distinctly than when greater exertion was made.

After making some improvements, such as taking the pressure from the arms, and providing means for confining the ballast more conveniently, I think of trying another experiment in deeper water.

I have given up all thoughts of keeping the matter secret any longer. Necessity has compelled me to communicate it to several, who have communicated it to others, and by that means, the knowledge of it is so useful, that it is morally impossible to arrest its progress. I am in great haste, or I should be more particular. It is only from considering the great interest you have in this, and all literary concerns, united with the obligations I am under, that compels other employments to yield. I must conclude with expressing my profound respects for yourself and family.

B. F. STICKNEY.*

[From Baron Gustaf Paykull.]

WALLOXSABY, NEAR UPSAL, Feb. 6, 1801.

Sir-I had not the honor of receiving your letter of the 14th February until toward the last of the month of October,

* Dorcas Stickney, a relation of Dr. Franklin, had a son, Anthony S. Stickney, whose son, Benjamin F. Stickney, married Mary, daughter of General John and the famous Molly Stark. Benjamin F. Stickney named his children with numerals. One of them, Two Stickney, Esq., of Toledo, Ohio, is a corresponding member of the Historical and Genealogical Society.-Hist. and Gen. Reg., Jan., 1857.