London February 5 1845

The Trustees of the Leyden
{Paris and etc} Museum

Gentleman

I have the honor to present to the Leyden Museum a series of Specimens illustrative of the Zoology of Nepal with Catalogues annexed. The Specimens amount to five hundred and thirty six Birds and sixty-nine Mammals [written above this figure is an amended pencilled figure of seventy]. In the Catalogue transmitted the whole of the Birds and Mammals discovered by me in Nepal are set down for the information of the Trustees and I may add that the complete series is deposited in the British Museum and amounts to
Mammals of Nepal 126 species
Mammals of Tibet 47 species
Birds of Nepal and Tibet 657 species
Frogs, Fishes, Snakes and Tortoises 80 species
The species now transmitted to Paris [Leyden] are transmitted through the obliging mediation to the British Museum and are distinguished in the annexed Catalogues by a cross prefixed.

I have the honor to be
Gentleman
Your most obt. Servant
B.H. Hodgson
Late British Minister at
the Court of Nepal

[OVERLEAF]
The same to Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Edinbro, Dublin, Newcastle, Canterbury, Manchester, Earl of Derby with the number of specimens altered as follows

                                                                        SKINS
                                      Birds                       Mammals                Bones

3 Paris 462 48
4 Berlin 411 41
5 Frankfurt 352 7
6 Edinbro 321
7 Dublin 290
8 Newcastle 259
9 Canterbury 237
10 Manchester 213
11 Earl of Derby 205
12 Hugh Strickland 169

                                             ADD                                               Bones

British Museum 1753 170 195

1. India House 655 162 45
2. Leyden 536 78
3. Paris 462 48
4. etc. as above
   add College of Surgeons
   Haslar Institute

East India House

Sir

I have laid before the Court of Directors of the East India Company your letter of the 25th ultimo tendering for their acceptance duplicate specimens of your extensive Collection of the Zoology of Nepal and Tibet. In reply I am commanded to convey to you the acknowledgements and thanks of the Court for this offer, which they have much pleasure in accepting. The Court are gratified by the opportunity of adding to their Museum and Collections acquired by so much Scientific Research and appropriated wit so much public spirit.
I am
Sir
Your most obedient
humble Servant
M.W.

Memo of Zoological Collections
Feby. [10?] 1845
Delivered to the British Museum as per letter 3rd January

Mam. Skins Bird Skins M[ammal] Skins Bird Bones
402 4444 406 + 663 = 1069
to these Brit. Museum added priorly sent collection and then distributed as follows, as by J.E. Gray's letter of 9 Feby.

                          Bird Skins    Mammal Skins    Bird Bones    Mammal
                                                                                                  Bones and
                                                                                                  Horns

British Museum 1753 170 337 195
India House 655 102 79 45 horns
Leyden 536 78 40
Paris 462 48 52
Berlin 411 37
Frankfurt 352 7
Edinbro. 321
Dublin 290
Newcastle 259
Canterbury 237 2
Manchester 213
Earl Derby 205
H. Strickland 169
Royal College of Surg. 140 58
Haslar College 1 79
near Gosport

                            5863                   443                                             300

British Museum
4th March 1845

Sir

Having laid your letter of the 4th February before the Trustees I am directed to express the hope that the tabular statement of your Collections which has been transmitted to you by Mr. Gray, is as far as it extends satisfactory I fear that we shall have very great difficulty in obtaining possession of the Drawings delivered to Mr. Howard. The Museum Solicitors have had an interview with the Solicitor of the party who levied the distress and from the facts which they elicited they incline to the opinion that you have lost all legal claim to the Drawings.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your most obedient
humble Servant

J. Forshall
Secretary

B.H. Hodgson

[Pencilled notes in the margin]
of Distribution:-
full of omissions and inaccuracies want copy of the thing when correct I will pay for its being copied

[Foot of letter]
I must compromise then what to pay? and I or the Museum?

British Museum
March 15 1845

My dear Sir
The Trustees have determined upon retaining in the museum a complete series of your Osteological Specimens, in the belief that these specimens will be of great use in the [?] necessary in the Departments both of recent and [?] Zoology.
They think it however right to appraise you that it is not their intention to articulate any of these specimens or to exhibit them to the public but to arrange and preserve them for the purpose of Scientific enquiries

I have the honor to be,
My dear Sir
Your very obedient Servant
J. Forshall

B. H. Hodgson Esq

The Lodge
Tewkesbury
May 23 1845

My dear Sir

I was much obliged by your last communication announcing your very handsome donation to me of 205 specimens of Birds. These will be of the highest interest to me as being original and authentic types of the numerous novelties which you have described in various works. I hope to be in London about the middle of June and to see you then.
Ever yours
very sincerely

H.E. Strickland

To B. H. Hodgson

Dublin
University Museum
12 June 1845

Sir

My friend Mr. Grey has just forwarded to me your notification of your liberal donation of 290 Birds from Nepal, duplicates of the magnificent collection found by you in that country, on their arrival I will lose no time in brining the matter before the Board who will I have no doubt instruct me to convey their [marked?] thanks for your liberality in the [meantime?] while I beg to assure you that all possible pains will be taken to make your donations useful in promoting the study of Zoology here

I have the honor
Sir
Your obedient
humble Servant
R.H. Ball
Director of the Museum

To B. H. Hodgson

29 Bury Street
St James
London

June 14th 1845

My dear Sir,

A few days ago Mr J.E. Gray forwarded to me the collection of Nepalese birds which you have so kindly presented to me. They include many species new to my collection, and will be of the utmost service to me in identifying the many new species which you have added to science. I regret very much that your approaching departure for India will deprive me of the pleasure of again seeing you in London, or as I had hoped of shewing you my collection in Oxford. I send you herewith a copy of my Report on ornithology just published, and if it is not giving you too much trouble, perhaps you would kindly take chare a copy for Mr Blyth, whom I presume you will see in Calcutta. Hoping you may be enabled to resume your very interesting researches into Indian Zoology
I am with many thanks
very truly yours
H.E. Strickland

To B.H. Hodgson Esq.

Director General
of the Medical Department
of the Navy

Haslar Hospital Museum and Library

Admiralty 15th August 1845

Sir

I have much pleasure in acknowledging your Contribution, as per Margin to the Museum and Library established at the Royal Navy Hospital at Haslar, for the benefit of the Medical Officers of the Navy, and to request that you will accept my thanks for the support you thus afford to the Establishment

I am Sir
Your very humble Servant
[W Burnett]
Director General

[Margin notes]
2 skulls of Hill-man
from the Valley of Nepal
79 osteological specimens
of the Birds of Nepal

To B.H. Hodgson Esqre
Late British Minister at
the Court of Nepal
Longport
Canterbury

1 Feb 1847

My Dear Sir

We have sent you 12 copies of the [enclosed?] a letter from the Trustees and one from me by Richardson and as I find his parcel will not be despatched until the 15th and Dr Horsfield having kindly undertaken to send one by the mail tomorrow I have [therefore?] taken advantage of his offer.

Ever yours Truly
J.E. Gray

To B. H. Hodgson