WCP2237

[1]¹

Algiers.

Jan. 19^th, 1870.

Dear Sir,

Your letter² of 2^nd inst[ant]. referring to the collection of S. Australian insects offered for sale by Mr. Wilson³ reached me four days ago.

I shall be very glad to aid you in disposing of it, but scarcely ^think it will be possible to do so in America, unless Agassiz⁴ will purchase it for the Museum of Comparative Anat ^Zoology at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

None of our learned societies or institutions for education have general collection in Entomology of any value and the number of students in that science are so few, & the labor of preserving the specimens so great [2] that I do not think any of them would be willing ^to buy collections, however rare or valuable they might be.

The collection at Cambridge is very large, but in great confusion, although Dr. Hagen⁵ is endeavoring to bring it into order.

I would advise you to write him on the subject, mentioning whether the collection is arranged, & authentically named. Agassiz is very desirous to have in his museum as many well named types of foreign species as he can obtain, & has already purchased several collections of European insects of different orders, which have served as bases for monographs.

I shall probably spend a few weeks in England next spring, when I hope again to meet you, & meanwhile remain,

Very sincerely yours | John L. LeConte [signature]

Alfred R[ussel]. Wallace, Esq.

London

[3]⁶