RK-364

Balto,, July 1^st,, 1857

Mr. Robt,, Kennicott

Dr Sir

I was very happy to recieve a communication from you and I am also glad to hear that the University intends to carry the good work ^still further on, it is undoubtedly the best thing that can be done for the interests of Science in this quarter.

I am glad to hear that you have done something in the way of collecting in the southern part of your state, I hope your labors have been richly rewarded; if you go to Minnesota particularly the Red River region, the best country for Entomologizing that I know of, you will doubtless want to crowd things into as little space as possible; you may keep Neuroptera very well in coarse saw dust, packing them just tightly enough to avoid damaging the wings, feelers &c; but they must

not be taken out of the saw dust afterwords until you wish to pin them up, removal is very apt to destroy some of their most im= =portant characters.

Hemiptera may be retained in Alcohol, it takes a great while to spoil them in this way and does not obliterate their characters. D^r,, Morris has resigned into my hands all his Hemiptera, his time will not permit him to investigate them very thoroughly; he will however assist me in working them out from time to time as he has ^the opportunity. I was sorry there were so few Hemiptera in the box sent by D^r,, Hoy, there were three species of the genus Cicada, but no other kinds of Hemiptera; every thing belonging to this Order is badly wanted and the number of species in this vicinity is very small; after I have got pretty well on with the determination of the Hemiptera I shall commence to deter= =mine the Orthoptera and I am now getting the works together on this subject for this purpose,

hereafter I propose to confine my attention entirely to these three Orders and will do all I can to name all the kinds before uncharac= =terized.

Do me the kindness to note the time at which you capture certain Neuroptera and their local= =ities, many kinds are both periodical & local. I should be happy to take the University’s collections and make the best disposal of them but I should like first to know the manner in which you want them appropriated, what things you want in exchange &c.

Coleoptera I can readily exchange for you, for other Coleoptera either foreign or exotic, but it is very difficult to find any one in this country who wants anything but Coleoptera, they can only be exchanged in Europe.

There is no one studying the Myriapoda so far as I know, at present in this country. Please accept of my small paper describing some Libellulides, it is very small, but the

the Insects have not been before described. If you will collect all the Orthoptera, Hemiptera and Neuroptera that you can get your hands on and send them to me after the season is over I shall be greatly obliged to you.

Many of the kinds of Libellulides that I before recieved through your kindness were very desi= =rable, some I think new, I should like very mu= =ch to have more of the same kinds Viz. The one with a small brown spot against the base of the posterior wings, the one abundant upon lake Michigan, and in particular all kinds of Agrion Fab, those commonly called darning needles by the common people.

Very Sincerely Yours Philip R. Uhler,

N.B. I do not think you will be able to keep Neuroptera in any kind of proper condition in bags if you have but little space, but in saw dust, or chaff by covering them entirely they will do well.