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November 26, 1853 [stamp] Smithsonian Institution Washington D.C.

My Dear Robert I have had your letter of Nov. 9 for some time in hand, and only
waited for the arrival of the keg to answer it. By some unknown delay, this did not come
until yesterday, after I had written to the Express agent at Cleveland to know whether a
parcel to me had lately passed him. I was much gratified by the contents of the keg
which were in first rate order and included a number of most interesting species, many
of them for the first time detected in the west. In the enclosed list you will find the
names of the [illegible] sent and I will take them up one by one and make some remarks.
I have added a sketch of a few, to enable you to identify them. Your No. 1. I could not
identify. The paper in[strikethrough] which you had wrapped round the specimens was softened and
torn in several cases so that I could not repair. No. 2 Chlorosoma vernalis green
snake. This I have never received nor known so far west before. 3 Amblystom luridum.
The largest salamander. black with yellow spots. This has only been seen in
Michigan and Wisconsin heretofore. 4. Notophthalmus miniatus the rough salamander.
brick red above, yellowish red beneath, with black specks. Lives under rather dry logs in
the woods. Called by Harlan[strikethrough] Say Salamandra symmetrica. No. 5 Hemidactylium
scutatum This species in the chestnut above, white