My dear Sir

Your book packets with M. Piderit, although having the Bromley Post Mark of 16 Feb., had the London stamp of 18 Feb. upon it & did not reach this until last evening.—¹ I shall be unable to send you the translated bits until tomorrow, as I have a Lecture to attend tonight.— I see it is one of those horrible semi-metaphysical works of which the Germans are so fond:—

I have been to look at the Athenæum & can only say that the article is a disgrace to the journal.—² Though perhaps this is hardly true, for, as regards scientific matters, the Athenæum is so perfectly contemptible, that it is almost a compliment to be abused by it.— So you see it is rather a matter of congratulation than otherwise.—

I must thank you for all the kind consideration which you show in offering to pay the postage &c of books after pieces have been translated from them.— I think as a rule, I may afford to pay these expenses, but we shall see.—

I will bear in mind your queries about Hemiptera & endeavour to send you some information upon them soon.—³ But it is something like 15 years since I seriously worked at them, so that, as you may suppose, I have got rather rusty, & I fear I shall be able to do little to help you.— M^r. Douglas⁴ (although I don’t believe in him as a systematic entomologist) has worked very hard, in the field, upon our British species, & I should think might furnish you with some information,—but the secondary sexual characters are certainly more strongly marked in the exotic than in the British forms.—

Believe me | Your’s always truly | W. S. Dallas.