ENTOMOLOGICAL LETTERS

Alexander, Charles P. AN INTERESTING COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL LETTERS from Charles P. Alexander of Amherst, Massachusetts, noted authority on Crane-flies (Tipulidae) to F. Erasmus Wilson, of Melbourne, well-known authority on Coleoptera. 4to; 98 pages, manuscript and typescript; (the penultimate letter slightly frayed at margin with trifling loss, otherwise in excellent condition). Amherst, Massachusetts; Charles P. Alexander; 1922-37. ***There are fifty-one letters in all. The first of them is in holograph, and is dated November 14, 1922, and commences: "For the past ten years I have been making a study of the crane-flies (Tipulidae) of Australia and now have a sufficient amount of material to warrant the preparation of a monographic treatment. I am very desirous of securing more material from Victoria. Mr. Gerald Hill has suggested that you might be willing to save such of these flies as you may find in your collecting trips this season." Then follow descriptions of the insects and how to keep them, etc. This was the beginning of a long association between these two entomologists, each an authority in his own field, which was terminated only by the death of Alexander. The other fifty letters (all but one typed), written from July 3, 1927 to April 30, 1937, contain, inter alia, friendly reports to Wilson on the crane-flies which the he (Wilson) had collected in Australia and sent to Alexander, identifying many of them and advising of the numerous rare and new species obtained. As time went on a friendship (furthered by Alexander's visit to Australia) developed between the two men, and Alexander discussed his work in more detail. While the dominant theme of the letters is always his beloved "Tips", Alexander writes of a diversity of things and people in the scientific (mainly entomological) world, and the letters are richly informative. In the last few letters he writes more of his unsatisfactory state of health. So great was Alexander's enthusiasm that Wilson also formed a collection of Tipulidae from specimens returned to him by Alexander. Most of the letters consist of two or more closely typewritten 4to pages (totalling 98 pages, 4to, in all). #26836 Click HERE to order A$1500.00