British Museum
Dec 20 1844

Sir,

I am directed by the Trustees to acknowledge your letter dated Canterbury, December, and in reply to acquaint you that the Trustees are deeply obliged for the valuable series of Skins and Drawings which you have already presented to the Museum as well as for the liberal offer now made of completing the series.
This offer the Trustees will thankfully accept, and will instruct the proper officer to proceed to Canterbury, whenever it may be convenient to you, for the purpose of making the selection for the Museum, and of giving you such aid as he can consistently with his other public duties, in sorting the specimens to be distributed to other public Institutions, but the Trustees regret to say that to contribute in any way to the publication which you propose, does not fall within the limit of the objects to which they think it right to confine themselves.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
J. Forshall
Secretary

To B.H. Hodgson Esq

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

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

[1845]

My Dear Sir

I am sorry that I am obliged to go out this morning but in case you should some I leave the following

dons 1. India House - Dr. Horsfield Thomas Horsfield 1773-1859
655 American

       2. Mus. Leyden - Director
           536                  Mr Temminck   Coenraad Jacob Temminck
                                                               Dutch    1778-1858
      3.  Mus. Paris        The Administrator
           462
      4. Mus. Berlin       Director
          411                     M. Lichtenstein  Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein
                                                                German                    1780-1857
      5. Mus. Senkenberg.  Director
          Frankfurt      Dr. Rupell            Eduard Ruppell
          352                                            German                       1794-1884
     6.  Edin.....College Museum
          321      Professor Jameson       Robert Jameson
                                                              Scottish                     1774-1854
     7.  Dublin University Museum
          290     Secretary R. Ball Esq    Robert Ball
                                                             Irish                              1802-1858
                                                             Became Director in 1844
      8. Newcastle
          259
     9. Canterbury
         237
     10. Manchester      The Secretary
          213
     11. Earl of Derby
         205
     12. Hugh Strickland Esq                         Hugh Edwin Strickland
          Oxford                                                English                  1811-1853

Yours Very Truly
J.E. Gray

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

To Sir William Jardine

20 [10?] Feb[ruary] 1843

Dear Sir William

Mr. Hodgson [having/has?] given his collection to the British Museum on condition that we allowed Mr Howard to have them to figure and that we gave Mr Hodgson a catalogue of all the specimens he had sent. He gave me directions to procure specimens from the Zoological Society and other places where they might have been deposited and Mr Gould told me that had a bag from Mr Hodgson which he said was sent to you when you were refered to respecting the publication of the [Mr H's] plates and that he felt certain that you regarded them as only deposited with you and that you had them in the bag in your [hall?] still packed up such being the case I consider that I was by the general direction I had received called upon to send to you respecting them. Hoping you will under these circumstances excuse my mistake.

Believe me yours truly

J.E. Gray

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