WCP753

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

March 22nd, 1906

My dear Fred¹

I was very glad to get yours of Feb. 21st., though as I had not heard from you for 6 weeks I concluded that the delay was due to your being at S. Catalina. But alas! it is not so. It is no good saying any thing about it now, as you are bound by circumstances, & must do the best you can. As however you are still collecting — for Mr Thayer² — I will give you the names of other American buyers. Mr. Levi W. Mengel³ of the Boys' High School, Reading, Penn<sylvania> is a collector of Butterflies & has 24[MS burned] specimens, but his speciality is<MS burned]] Erycinidae of the World of which he [MS burned] just printed a very elaborate [MS burned] which he has sent me. He [MS burned] be glad to buy Er<ycinidae> [MS burned] [2] me that Mr. Andrew G. Wachs⁴ 8, Congress Street, Boston, is a wealthy collector of Butterflies — Also Dr. W. J. Holland,⁵ Director of the Carnegie Museum Pittsburg, [sic] — and Prof. E. J. Owen,⁶ University of Wisconsin, are also purchasers. You might therefore go on collecting Trinidad Butts in case these collectors will take sets.

If Mr. Thayer wants only Lepidop. illustrating mimicry the very lowest price you should charge should be 2/- a specimen, & even that will not pay you nearly so well as Fungi [MS burned] each all around. Good sets [MS burned] mimicking butterflies are worth [MS burned] each at least, the mimickers [MS burned] rare. [3]

I am glad you have met Klager.⁷ You will see in my last letter that I suggested the idea of your going to the Amazon with him.

I am myself doubtful whether the power of the lamp will much increase the number of moths captured. My lamp was a small common ^colonial oil lamp, not more than 3 or 4 candle power if so much, yet on the best nights the moths came so quick that I could not have got more had they been ten times as numerous. But there I had no poison bottle & had to catch al[MS burned] in net or flat gauze pliers.

I do not think I ever had Orlon's book but I do not think ^you need trouble at all [MS burned] what he or other travellers say ab[MS burned] unhealthiness in fevers. I have [MS burned] the moistest forest [MS burned] [3] enjoyable. Javita is ⁱⁿ one of wettest districts known, so is Sarawak and New Guinea, and Manãos, yet all are quite enjoyable. It is want of good food, & bad nutrition that causes fevers — rarely, if ever, the mere climate. No doubt Iquitos, being now for some years a large business centre some butterfly catchers have been there, but I have never seen the locality named for butterflies & that is a pretty good test. But the great advantage of the place is as a head-quarters in regular communication with Europe, and within easy reach of the foot of the Andes ^{in several directions} by native boats — the cheapest mode of travel [MS burned] all overland travel in the <mo>untains is enormously expensive [MS burned] therefore quite beyond your means.

That brings me to another point. [MS burned] you cannot get to S. Catalina [MS burned] absolutely determined you [MS burned]ce of say [MS incomplete]