From H. T. Stainton   4 March 1859

My dear Sir

I forward to you a little box by this post, containing a specimen of the two teazle feeding moths; the larva of the larger one feeds in the pith of the head, & the larva of the smaller one feeds on the actual seeds of the teazle. The connection between plants & insects is a favourite subject of mine, as especially in the smaller groups many species are almost sure to occur where their food-plants grows so that from a list of the Flora of any place it would be comparatively easy to prepare a list of its insect inhabitants.

I hope whenever you have time to write you will not be checked from doing so for fear of taking up my time, some correspondents are a nuisance I admit, a sort of necessary evil, but I have never thought of placing you in that category & I have derived so many valuable suggestions from you that I am always pleased to see your handwriting.

I am glad to hear that you have added a Carpological Collection of dissected fruits & seeds to the Collection of the S. Kensington Museum & I will certainly pay it a visit some day.— but we S.E. Londoners think it is a formidable journey to Kensington, just because it his[sic] at the other end of the Metropolis

I am in hopes we shall manage a visit to Cambridge during your residence there, but at present our movements so long beforehand are rather uncertain—before then I expect to visit Paris & Brussels & if I can execute any Botanical Commissions for you in either Capital I hope you will not hesitate to press me into your service, but we shall not cross the Channel till after Easter, so that you may perhaps grow some Parisian wants between now and then.

M ^rs Stainton is much obliged for your kind remembrance of her.

Yours very truly| H. T. Stainton