Affichage de 164 résultats

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

Knowsley
June 29 1844

To B.H. Hodgson
Bengal Civil Service
Longport
Canterbury

[?] Hotel
Vere Street
Oxford Street
London

Sir
I have this morning [?] with yours of the 23rd Inst. and beg to return my best acknowledgements for your kind assistance not on this account alone but on many others previous as I have been fully informed by [Wm. J. Smith?] of the ready aid you have always afforded in enabling him to carry out my wishes of obtaining the various interesting productions of the Hemmaleh Countries, altho' I regret to think in how many instances your kind exertions in my favour have been frustrated by the conjoint efforts of the changed climate and the length of the voyage which has been particularly distressing in the case of the Pheasants of which I fear I must say that the only individual which ahs survived the transit and still does in a very fair specimen of the male [Thos. lineates of Latham/Khatam?] which however we cannot induce to cross with the Hens of any other kind. I earnestly hope that those announced in tour present letter may prove more successful by [?] Smith's advice. I am about to send out in the next Month a person from hence to aid William L. on the spot in the care of the young animals and to take charge of them on their transit to this country partly by the overland and partly by the sea voyage. This person is my principal superintendent here and he will take an assistant or two with him to promote this division of the forces on the return. If you sh[oul]d happen to see Mr. Ogilby or Drs. [Royle] or Falconer, they can tell you the whole of the Plan and [?] [?] remaining in London. When he goes up, I shall return to give him a letter of introduction to you in order that he may profit by any hints you may be disposed to afford him. Should you be aware by what ship the animals your letter has announced to me will be conveyed you will much oblige me by this intelligence, that I may put in train the requisite enquiries after them

I remain Sir
Your very much obliged
Derby

To B.H. Hodgson
From J.E. Gray

25th Dec 1844
British Museum

My Dear Sir

This will be delivered to your by Mr. Gerard who will pack the specimens and give you an account of them. I have [desired?] him to bring the Thibet items with him by rail and to learn from Mr Masters the best ways of sending of the others.
As soon as I have received the specimens and been able to sort them into kinds I will as once proceed to make the short descriptions you desire of the hitherto undescribed specimens which are marked as not having yet been characterized in the list of your birds which you have promised to send to me and send their descriptions for mention in Taylors Annals of Natural History. It would be more satisfactory if you transmitted with the list the descriptions you have already made on these species that my additions may only be the filling up of any [?] that may be necessary as I consider everything that van be [?] from your own hands so very much more valuable thats what is to be desired from the study of the dry skins and bones and at the same time more satisfactory. As soon as the collection is sorted out and the duplicates distributed into sets for the different Museums according to your letters we will set to work to form the catalogue of them and of the drawings but it would greatly facilitate this affair if you will give me a complete list of your various Papers and the Books in which they have appeared that I may search for them in the India House and other libraries for the local magazines of India very rarely find their way to this country and are even more rare in perfect sets. Hence the great difficulty we experience in knowing when the Indian species are described. This catalogue may be made in 3 or 4 months so as to appear in the Spring. I consider this catalogue of the greatest use as making known where your numerous and very interesting descriptions are to be found for if the works which contains them are rare in London their existence are quite unknown on the Continent and if the Specimens were sent without being accompanied by such work the names would almost all be considered as mere {Mss.?] one and therefore little or not at all recorded. You have more than once accused me of being anxious to grasp at your Collections, in this you quite misunderstand me, my anxiety to have the specimens is more on your own account than any mere wish to increase the Museum Collection which has been increasing at the rate of 20,000 specimens a year for the last 2 or 3 years and will have added more than 27,000 specimens this year. But by your sending a series of specimens to the British Museum there can be no [cavilling?] in time to come your discoveries and the type of your species and you will have them to refer to any time that your Nepal fauna may appear, at the same time it must be owned and nobody can be more willing to allow it than I am that your collection is a most magnificent contribution to the National collections and Science in general. I will use my utmost endeavour to induce some artist to undertake the publication of a selection of your drawings [figuring?] especially the more interesting of the numerous new species which you have discovered for I don't think that it is possible that I could ever find any one to Engrave or purchasers to support the entire series. I say artist for large publishers will never undertake such publications and I believe it is only a person who will devote himself to the work and to getting it into circulation as Mr. Gould does that could make a work of the hands pay its expenses. Should such an artist be found I will give him any assistance in my [?] power as I did to Mr. Howard when he was engaged upon it. If you were going to remain here I should have recommended you to have at once set to work to collect together [reports?] in a systematic form all the very interesting and strikingly novel [research?] and observations with which the backs of your Drawings and Notes Books are filled and to proceed to print them for I believe they would form a work which many publishers would be glad to undertake and which would be a most valuable contribution to [natural?] knowledge, but as your are going back to nearly the same neighbourhood I think it better the work should be delayed for a few years that you may add to it any fresh observations which you may be enabled to make and read it over when it is collected together into an acceptable form to take from it any [repetitions] and add to it the facts that must recur to your memory on such a perusal. When you have your materials together I will peruse and give you any friendly assistance that may occur to a [closet?] and systematic naturalise like myself but I am convinced/concerned from what I have seen of the notes that very little assistance will be wanted from me as I should not recommend you to over[burden?[ the work with dry systematic descriptions taken from the dry skins or measurements which are comparatively of so much less importance than the notes on the structure and habits of an animal or Birds made on the spot by an enlightened and accurate observer like yourself but what ever friendly assistance my numerous and laborious occupations here will allow me to give to the work I shall be most happy to afford though at the same I must decline to take on myself any responsible part in either the publication of the plates of letter press descriptions
Believe me my Dear Sir
Yours Truly
J. E. Gray

To B.H, Hodgson Esq.

To Brian Houghton Hodgson

British Museum
26 Dec 1844

My Dear Sir

Herewith as you wished I send you the following abstract of my letter to the Secretary of the British Museum respecting your collection
"Mr Hodgson wishes the museum to prepare at once "a short description of the new species to appear in one" of the Monthly scientific Journals and then to print a short "catalogue of the specimens and drawings presented by Mr. Hodgson to the Museum referring to where he has described them that he may have the credit of his discoveries which have been very numerous" "The collection of Specimens and Drawings are certainly the most extensive and complete materials which have ever been collected together for the Fauna of any country and of Europe (excepting perhaps those made by Mr Gould in New Holland) and it is very desirable that Mr. Hodgson should have every credit for the very great exertions he has used to make us acquainted with the Natural History and habits of the Mammalia and Birds of the provinces of India and Thibet "with the patronage of the India Company and the list of subscribers which Mr Hodgson informs me he has in India. I think it is very probable that before the end of the two years specified by Mr Hodgson (during which he has reserved to himself the exclusive privilege of using his [figures[ as specimens) It is very probable that some artist with the consent of Mr Hodgson may be induced to undertake the publication of a selection of them. If this should be the case I have promised Mr. Hodgson that every facility and assistance which it can be in the power of the Zoological department (consistent with their other duties) to afford him shall be given to him to forward his wishes.

Yrs very truly
John Edw. Gray

[Written on outside of letter]
1844
Gray's pledges
and report to the Trustees

He promises
1st describe new species within a month
2nd to make catalogue in 3 or 4 months
3rd to exert himself touching publications of Drawings

N.B. Catalogue to be distributed with each set of duplicated forwarded to the following by Brit. Mus. Paris, Leiden, India House, Canterbury, Newcastle, Plymouth, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinbro., Dublin
Their address?

To B.H. Hodgson

British Museum
Feb 6th 1845

My dear Sir

I saw in looking over the list of Birds that the Tibetan Pheasant that the 2 [Grandalleus[em] Caldeola?] has not been marked, it was at the stuffers when the list was being prepared, so it escaped, we did not retrieve any specimens of the Ganges Pelican but only a head. Besides the [587?] Birds distributed according to the list there are numerous specimens in so bad a state as not to be of any use to any person. What shall be done with them?
The catalogue we are preparing will contain a detailed list of every specimen we have received from you between 1840 and now. I send herewith a list of the Mammalia shewing how they and their bones have been distributed. If you let me have the list of Birds for a day the distribution of the Birds since should be added to it.
I should recommend the Bird Bones to be sent

1. To Coleges of Surgeons
2. To Museum Haslar Hospital the second best anatomical hospital in England
3. Leyden
4. Paris
   2, 3 and [?] will be very small in number. Mr. Strickland has written to say he's very much obliged to you for having given him some of your birds. I saw his note
   Yrs very truly
   J.E. Gray

My brother desires me to inform you the Sun Birds stuffed they come to 1. 5. 0 case and all. Shall they be sent to Canterbury or where. I here from Mr. Rees that they have found 50 drawings of Birds at the Zoological Society but they say they are waiting for your instruction to deliver them. Pray write to them.

Note on the back of the list says 'List of Mammal Drawings delivered to Mr Hawkins 24th Decr. 1842'

Zoological Society of London
11, Hanover Square
London W

June 18th 1858

Dear Sir

I am extremely gratified that the manner in which your new species was published in the Proceedings has met your approbation and I have no doubt that in your memoranda there must be much which would afford interesting matter for future papers.

As Dr. Gray originally suggested to Dr. Horsfield that your new species should be described in the Proceedings, and had, I believe the merit of selecting those which were most suitable for the figures. I have thought it best to consult him on the subject of your letter of the 10th instant especially as he is one of our Vice Presidents and one of the most active members of our Publication Committee. Dr Gray undertakes to examine the collection of Mammalia and Bird Skins, to select such as appear new for description and such as appear to be desirable for the British Museum and he will then pack up and forward the duplications to any Museums or persons whom you may designate. The descriptions we propose to publish in the Society's Proceedings, illustrated as before with extracts from your memoranda. I think a very interesting series of papers may be made in this manner, and I hope you will approve of the plan. I have deposited the skins of Mammalia already received in the care of Dr. Gray. If you will give me an order for receiving the bird skins and box of drawings and Memoranda I will send them to him also, so that the examination of all may be commenced and we may be enabled to bring the papers successfully before the Society when our sittings recommence after the vacation. Your assistance will be required in translating the memo when they are in the Native tongue, but it will be unnecessary to trouble you until the collection has been gone through carefully in the first instance and the probable extent of what we shall have to do ascertained. Mrs Hodgson's pet is quite well. The [cheer?] and three species of [Gullophasis?] are breeding [freely?]. I expect to have near 100 birds in all.

I am Sir
Yours very faithfully

D.W. Mitchell

Belgrave Mansions S[ou]th

30 Jan[uar]y

My dear Hodgson,

I wrote to your yesterday in some hurry from the club and had not y[ou]r letter with me. On referring to the latter I find that you describe the material with wh[ich] you [anticipate?] supplying Marshall as bulky? - Not I know what a valuable collection of drawings you have in those large portfolios of yours and it would be a great treat to me to have them to reach in at my leisure - but please bear in mind that I am only fixed for some 6 months and have but limited space at my command. My [traps?], books, specimens etc. are all at the warehouse hard by Taylor's Depository. Marshall will have to confine his labours to the subject of his special Monograph - the [climbing?] Barbets there is already a question raised as to what families of the order sh[oul]d come into the group thus defined so that for his present purpose he will hardly require many of y[ou]r drawings. Suppose therefore you in the first instance only send y[ou]r ornithology drawings or shall I ascertain from M. what he would like to have of them, before you despatch any. He told you I suppose that he and his brother are only at home on a short leave. They seem to me to have already undertaken more than they can well do during their stay in England and I fear you may be disappointed if you expect much work from them on your materials [?] I say this without the least intention to disparage the bona fides of the 2 brothers in whatever they may have engaged with you to do - they are full of the true Zoolog. enthusiasm and will do their best. I was unable to attend the last meeting of the Z.S. I sh[oul]d probably have met them there, they do a great deal of their work there with [?] Sharpe out librarian whose monograph on the Kingfisher you probably know. Have you seen [Beauves?] Editor of Sir H. Elliot's Glossary he has done his work very well.

S[incerel]y y[our]s

A. Grote

Alderley Grange

Feb[ruary] 2 1870

My dear Marshall

I have your note of yesterday. Why, you are a whole week ahead of the time you [?] when here. I am glad your brother likes the sample of my [work?] which you showed him but you don't say whether he and you are disposed to tackle the huge [residue?]. Let me know but please first see Grote who seems scared for you or himself at the undertaking of [?] it will require lots of room to lay out the contents of the 4 portfolios so as to make a [just?] inspection by the preliminary operation of bringing together from the 4 receptacles wherein they are now scattered pell mell all that related to each species and group. Have you room and leisure for the opperation and for taking the results more or less perfunctorily. Your brother is soon to return and you have only till October with a deal of work already in hand. Perhaps however Grote and you may manage the storage between you - you alone who are a glutton for work may be equal to the [?] of the material and thence to decide the further question of the expediency of advising Hume to [turn?] the whole over to India with a view to incorporation in his work on the General Ornithology of India. Pending the settlement of which point it would seem that the portfolios should rest in London. All I can say is that I am ready to send up the whole as soon as I hear from you and Grote, and to trust you out and out for the fit care and utilisation of my treasures. Never mind about the [lamp?]. Thanks for your thoughtful attention to that trifle. Mrs. H joins me in Kindest Regards

Ever Yours
B.H. Hodgson