To Charles R. Bree 10 October 1853

My dear Bree,

Your application to Mr Stone (?) has been met by his sending me 5 specimens of Tree Sparrows Egg & an offer to send other eggs of which I shall be too glad to avail myself. I hope you will correct plenty more mistakes in so profitable a way! You really have patted me on the back in the G. C. in a manner that might make me vain, if I had not learnt to know how far realities are behind appearances, and that kind friends are wont to see with magnifiers. You seem not to know that my old friend Rev H. Kirby of Little Waldringfield held a Village Hort. Show this summer & I believe with great success. Lindley's printers have made (as you will see) two or three slips - e.g. Miss Henslow for the Misses Henslow; Centripeds for Cirhipeds; skulls for shells! as if I were in the habit of prowling around my Church Yard! The last mistake is obvious to all who know that H. Capicida is a Shell. They always do make these sort of absurd mistakes. I hope that & trust Mrs Bree felt no ill effects from standing so long under the Tent. We have reduced the 50 Candidates to 3 for the Curatorship of the Ipswich Mus. either of whom seems to be likely to suit us well. I have advised the Mayor to invite these 3, (paying their expenses) to come & look at the Museum, understand thoroughly what is expected of them - reply distinctly to a few questions, & then let us decide (judging from their own views) which is most likely of the 3 to suit us best. If we don't get a good Curator after this I think we shall be truly unlucky. Kind regards to Mrs B. & hoping you will come over as soon as you can & set my Eggs to rights

believe me

Very sincerely Yrs

J. S. Henslow

P.S. I cannot make out the name of your correspondent whether Stone or How. Be so good as to add it to the address for me