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My dear Hawkins
Having heard from Mr. Gould that Sir William Jardine had a bag of birds which Mr Gould told me he knew was sent to him when he was in communication with Mr. B.H. respecting the publication of the [works?] and that Jardine considered only as deposited with him and still had packed up in his hall I therefore wrote to him and have received the accompanying reply. We cannot make certain that we have all the specimens sent home without we had the opportunity of examining [his/this] bag and it is curious that Sir William should have considered that he was not at liberty to described or figure the specimens if they were absolutely given to him. Willyam communicated with Mr. Hodgson respecting them

Yrs very truly

J.E. Gray
10 Feb 1843

To B.H. Hodgson

13 Feb. 1845

Dear Sir
The Boxes of Birds have now been examined and divided into four collections thus

British Museum 352 Specimens
Collection No. 1 140 "

• No. 2 79 "
• No. 3 40 "
  Besides these are 52
  either evidently [?[ named or not named at all which are therefore of comparatively little use to any person. Pray indicate who is to have Series 1.2.3 I have kept every horn of the [Javai] but evident duplicates you will observe that I have now put aside to keep in the Museum a complete series of the Skulls and Horns of Mammalia and of the Bones of the Birds. I have not as yet done anything with regard to the more or less imperfect skeletons of the Mammalia which are evidently are not filled. For the Zoological Collection (as I told you when first I saw them) but I hope to have to communicate with you respecting them hereafter.
  If you will sign the inclosed order and return it to me I will send to Mr. Rees from the Drawings of Birds which I hear they have lately finished.
  Yours very truly
  J.E. Gray
  13 Feb 1845

To B.H. Hodgson
Long Port
Canterbury

23 April 1845

My dear Sir

The description of the Mice and Shrews were printed in the Annals but I have not received any separate copies so that I cannot send them to you. My brother sent the descriptions of the bird you indicated but they are to be printed in the Annals [Journal?] for May as they had no more room. I don't know what is [?] with respect to the Paper on Birds sent to the Zoological Society. We have not yet received the drawings of the Mammalia but that is not much importance as they can be added to the catalogues as soon as they arrive and as the Birds require much more time for their examination and comparison than I expected, the absence of this [head?] drawing have so far caused no delays I am going to Leyden [Leiden?] on the first of May for a few days and I shall take that opportunity to make some comparisons.

Yours Very Truly
J.E. Gray

[Note on back of letter]
1845
J.E. Gray
Papers printed by him on the [Murines?] and some Birds

To B.H. Hodgson

Lord Derby wrote to me that you have written to him shall I send off his box of Specimens? The list of Drawings only refer to The Mammalia

My Dear Sir
The list sent are correct in the numbers but the names as I am aware are ludicrously wrong but this arrived from the ignorance of the copyer but I thought you would be able to recognise them when you send them back the names shall be corrected. It was quite impossible to describe the new species until the whole collection was [sorted?] that the new and old might be compared and you appeared so fearfull that we should keep all that I concluded the sooner we could get the duplicates out of the Museum the better you would be please. The Mammalia their Heads and Horns exclusive of the of the more or less imperfect skeletons which are not yet unpacked have been sorted as follows
Skins Head and Horns
British Museum 170 195
Skins Skull and Horns
Collection n. 1 102 Ind. H
n. 2 78 ? [Leiden]
n. 3 48 Paris
n.4 37 Berlin
Collection Skull etc for Col. Surg 50 [58]
Horns for India House 45
Collection 5 - 7 For Mus. Frankf
6 - 1 [?] taken by Mr. Ogilby
Horns [Promican?] to Mus. Canterbury 2-

Bird Skins
British Museum 1753
No 1. Leyden M 655
2 Paris Leyden 536
4 Berlin 411
5 Frankfurt 352
6 321
7 290
8 259
No 9 237
No 10 213
11 205
12 169

The birds names are nearly finished I much fear that there are many errors in the numbering of them two very differing kind[s] having the same number and the Bills shew they evidently do not belong to the genus of the [?]

We have seen no more of Mr. Howard. Have you written to Mr Rees of the Zool. Soc. about the Drawing? I believe they have no or very few Birds [Bones] at the Zool. Soc. The anatomical museum I mentioned was Haslar near Gosport under the care of Dr. John Richardson the arctic traveller.
Yours ever
J.E. Gray

Dec 15 1844

To the Trustees of the British Museum

My Lords and Gentlemen,

With reference to my recent letter to your address relative to my zoological collections and researches I have the honor to inform you that, my immediate return to India having just been decided on, I conceive it to be on many accounts most desirable that I should carry back with me my original Drawings as well as my Notes and Memoranda, leaving only my finished series of drawings together with the whole of my specimens in the possession of the Museum to be appropriated and distributed as already proposed.

2. Accordingly I now request that my first proposition to you, my Lords and Gents. may be modified upon this plan because, in order to enable me on my return to India to resume and complete my zoological researches with the greatest rapidity and effect I shall need the whole of my original drawings and Notes, while my departure is so near that no time is left for any further proceedings in conjunction with the proposed Nominee of the Museum than the transfer to him of the specimens; and, indeed, to ensure that transfer being satisfactorily made it had become indispensable that not a moment be lost in the selection and despatch to Canterbury of the said Nominee.
3. I beg leave therefore to solicit an early decision upon this point; for the specimens to be disposed of are exceedingly numerous and valuable and have been collected at so great a cost that it is most desirable their dispersal should be adjusted as far as possible before my departure.
4. Of the series of finished drawings which I propose to present to the Museum a considerable number have been lent to an Artist of the name of Howard who [proposed?] their publication but has now desisted from that intention I recommend that steps be immediately taken by the Museum to recover possession of these drawings which were lent to Mr. Howard after they had been deposited in the Museum to which they are now presented by me, their sole and absolute owner.
5. The small portion of the series which is unfinished, shall be transmitted by me from India as soon as may be, it being no longer possible to have them finished in London as before suggested by me.
6. I return to India with the full purpose of effectively completing those researches which my sudden departure thence so sadly interrupted, and, in order, to their completion in the most satisfactory manner, I beg leave to suggest that some competent officer of the Museum be placed in communication with me and be authorised and directed to be [concert/consort?] which was mentioned in the prior letter, it being my anxious wish still to carry out, with the sanction and support of the Trustees, the complete original idea of an Illustrated Fauna of Nepal and Tibet based on these drawings; and I would accordingly hereby solicit the separate favourable consideration of the Trustees for that eventual undertaking which with the patronage of the British Museum would be extensively aided by subscriptions in India where when by sudden departure dislocated all my plans these drawings had already attracted general admiration owing to their extraordinary Zoological accuracy and to the quality of collateral illustrations of the habits and manners as well as the structures of species which they embrace and the fruit of years of continuous toil aided by the unique and irrevocable opportunities

I have [the honor to be]
Yrs
B.H. Hodgson
Late Minister at The Court of Nepal

To B. H. Hodgson Esqre

British Museum
1 February 1843

Sir,

Mr. Gray, the Keeper of the Zoology has reported to the Trustees that he had received a very extensive Collection of Mammalia and Birds, collected by you in Nepal, out of which you have been pleased to offer to the acceptance of the Trustees such specimens, as are desirable for the Museum on the following conditions

1. That you are furnished with a list of the whole collection

2. That Mr. F. Howard engaged in publishing your Drawings of these Mammalia and Birds be allowed to have on loan such specimens as he may require to verify the Drawings

3. That no one be allowed to figure or describe the specimens which may not hitherto have been described until Mr Howard's work now in the press has appeared.

I am directed by the Trustees to acquaint you that they most cheerfully accede to the terms which you propose, and I am at the same time to request that you will accept the Especial Thanks of The Trustees for this very valuable addition to the Natural History of The Museum.

I have the honour to be
Sir
Your most obedient
humble Servant
J. Forshall
Secretary