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of the last year, because, apparently, it was stopped a long time at London! I give you a thousand thanks, as well for this letter, as the good encouragement you have given me of endeavoring, as much as in your power, to fill the vacancy which I find in my cabinet of Natural History, as it regards North America. Be assured I shall do all in my power to show you my gratitude. I have already sent to you, to the address of Thos. Bainbridge, Ansley & Co., at London, a box containing 100 species of Insects, with a list of their names, which you have asked for the American Historical Society. In the same box you will find two copies of three volumes of my Fauna Sueciae; one for yourself, and the other for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, from whom I shall accept, with sincere acknowledgments, the honor that you propose for me of being made a member. You will find also, in the box I have sent you, Linnaei (filii) Supplementum Plantarum, which you desired, and the Licheaographia, by Mr. Acarius, a new work of eminent merit, and absolutely classical. It was impossible, at the moment, to obtain for you the Genera Plantarum, by Schreber, nor the Edition of Gmelin of the Systama Natura, but I have no doubt I shall be able to offer it you very shortly, with some other new works that will be agreeable to you.

As Botany is your favorite study, I am in haste to find you a worthy correspondent in my Country, who, himself, possesses a great collection of plants, and will be able to pay you in return for the American specimens he may desire. I have already addressed myself to Dr. Swartz, the celebrated Professor of Botany at Stockholm, who has accepted my proposal, and sends you in the box, of which I have spoken, a letter and some of his works, which will surely give you an idea of his merit. I am uncertain whether you will receive this letter first, or the box, which has some time been forwarded to London.

In future, I believe our correspondence will be better and speedier by Hamburg. If you shall judge so, you will only have to address my letters and packages, whether large or small, which you may send me, with my address, to Mr. Gustat Stark, Director of the Post to his Swedish Majesty, at Ham

burg. He is my particular friend, and will make conveyance of my things, and also expedite to you my letters and packages, as soon as you will be so good as to give me your address to Salem. A thousand thanks I tender to you for your offer to send me American Books, especially the Transactions of the Academy; but, as I have some other opportunities of procuring them, and as I already have some, I do not wish you to take this trouble, and will only ask for those works which are your own, and which will always be very agreeable to receive from the Author's own hand. But this restriction need. not prevent you from sending me European books. I have so great need of your indulgence and care in procuring me the productions of America of the Animal Kingdom, that I ought to think myself happy if you will permit me to pay a tribute of my gratitude by augmenting your library. If you would point out some other way by which I might serve you, you shall see that I will not refuse, and that I shall do it with all possible zeal. I beg you, with the same, to try as much as is in your power, to procure me the quadrupeds, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, shells, and worms of your Country, according to the list I have given you in my former letter. As amongst the desiderata, which I have pointed out to you, there are several which we do not find in the editions of the System of Linnæus which you possess. I wish you only to send me all new species, without embarassing yourself with the names which may have been given them since the time of Linnæus. I shall have, by this method, some specimens which I already possess, but these specimens will be very useful to me for my correspondents in the South of Europe. I beg of you to endeavor to procure for me specimens of all sorts which are not scarce, and which will not cost you too much pains to preserve. Insects, for example, I should be charmed to receive from 12 to 20 of each sort, if it were possible. If sometimes it should cost you too much trouble to stuff the skins of birds, I pray you to send the skins, only taking care they are not too much torn or bloody. You must take great care to take away the fat, the tongue, the eyes, the brain, and to powder well the skins with sulphur and ashes. After this necessary preparation, you must dry them in an oven, to take away the moisture,

before packing the skins in a very close box. For the skins of the quadrupeds, I believe it will be better to have them pass through the hands of a leather dresser, so that they may not lose their hair, and may not be injured by worms. It is understood that the claws and nails ought to be well preserved. As for the worms, reptiles, and fish, they may be sent in spirits of wine, in a vessel well closed, if they are small; if not, send me only the skins. If you find it agreeable to you, please send some of your works for the Royal Academy of Sciences, at Stockholm, and I shall have the pleasure to propose you for the first vacant place as a foreign member. Write me as soon and as often as you can find leisure, and I shall do the same to you.

I have the honor to be, with great esteem and consideration, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant,

G. PAYKULL.

[From Dr. J. G. Klein and Rev. J. P. Rotter.]

TRANQUEBAR (HINDOOSTAN), Sept 13, 1803. Rev'd Sir-Being desirous to have a correspondence with America on natural history, particularly on botany, we take the liberty to introduce ourselves and profit by the happy opportunity Mr. Noble has offered us to present you a paquet of plants, collected in the environs of Tranquebar. If this should meet your kind acceptance, and cause a desire for a continuation of such collections, we shall have the honor to furnish you in future with more supplies, when favorable opportunities offer. Our Herbarium siccum, being now pretty great in number, would be greatly augmented and advanced by some additions of American plants, for which we request your kind as

sistance.

We have the honor to remain, with great esteem, Reverend Sir, your very obliged and humble servants,

J. G. KLEIN,
Med. Dr.

J. P. RUTTER,

Royal Danish Missionary.

THE REV'D DR. CUTLER, Hamilton, near Boston.

(By favor of J. Noble, Esq.)

[To Hon. John Davis.*]

I

WASHINGTON (Without date). My Dear Sir-On my way to this city, I called at your house, but was so unfortunate as not to find you at home. left the two Vols. of Fauna Suecia, by Mr. Paykull, which, by his request, I presented in his name to the American Academy. These Vols. are numbered I. and III., and the set he sent me have the same numbers. By some mistake, I presume, the 2d Vol. has been omitted in both sets. It will probably be sent in the next package he forwards to me. I also left at your house Flora Ind. Occid., presented to the Academy at the request of the author, Dr. Swartz.

You observed to me that Mr. Paykull, whom I nominated, had not been elected a member because no person appeared to give his character. I have not been able to attend a meeting of the Academy since his nomination. I will beg you to state to the Academy, at their next meeting, that Mr. Paykull was recommended to me as a man of much science and a valuable correspondent in all the branches of Natural History by the Baron Hermelin, who, I believe, was personally known, when in America, to several members of the Academy. Mr. Paykull is the Counselor of the king of Sweden's Chancery. He is a disciple of Linnæus and a member of their Academy of Sciences at Stockholm, Upsal, St. Petersburg, Florence, etc. Dr. Swartz, in his letters to me, speaks of him as his intimate friend and a truly scientific character. He considers the Fauna Suecia, which Mr. Paykull has presented to the Academy, as a truly classic work of great merit. He is the author of several other works of merit, published in the Swedish language. Mr. Paykull has forwarded to me a box of insects in

* Hon. John Davis, LL.D., born Jan. 29, 1761, at Plymouth; died in Boston, Jan. 14, 1847; graduated at Harvard University, 1781; Comptroller of the U. S. Treasury, 1795, and U. S. District Judge of Massachusetts from 1801 till his death. He was one of the most profound antiquarians in New England, member of many learned societies, and President of the Massachusetts Historical Society.-Drake's Dict. Am.

VOL. II.-20

a state of high preservation, scientifically arranged, which he has requested me, when I shall have sufficiently examined and compared them with ours, to present to the Historical Society. In the course of our correspondence, I shall expect further communications to these two Societies. I do believe, on the principles upon which foreign members have been elected, few have a fairer claim, or will be more honorable and useful to the Society. I must beg your particular attention to his election, and shall feel extremely disappointed, should he be negatived.

Dr. Swartz was in Boston in 1782, and spent six months in Massachusetts and in the Middle and Southern States. From there he went to the West Indies, and spent four years and a half in making collections for the work he has forwarded to the Academy. He was in Boston, I believe, about the time the American Academy was instituted, for he mentions the expectation of a Philosophical Society in Boston at that time. With whom he was particularly acquainted in Boston, I have not been informed, but I think it is probable he was personally known to some of the present members of the Academy. His name, however, has been so often mentioned in works on Natural History in England and in Europe, that his character can not be unknown to many of the Academy. He has presented to the Academy his Flora India Occidentalis, with plates, a very valuable work. He mentions, in his last letter to me, that he had just published a work, entitled Observations on Botany, but, not having a copy by him, he would forward one by the next opportunity for the Academy. He is also engaged in another work, a new systematic arrangement, according to the natural orders, of Cryptogamiæ, which he promised to forward, when completed. He has sent me a part of this work, which certainly does him great credit. To render the new system the more complete, I am furnishing him with plants of this class, that he may compare them with those of the old continent.

It has been my intention to nominate Dr. Swartz, had it been in my power to attend the last meeting. If it be consistent with the rules for making nominations, I wish his name may be entered on the nomination list, as nominated by me.

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