Hon. Secretary,
Royal Society
Dr Macadam M.L.A.
The mailman kindly granted me a few minutes to enable me to send you these few lines. The full report of my diary up to this date will be send by the next mail (a fortnightly one only) together with the explanation of sketches.
I am writing now a monography of the plague of Australia, the Fly, with numerous drawings, then the substance and contents of the soil surrounding the Darling (with microscopical investigations and plenty of drawings) - again drawings of all the shells I hitherto found since leaving Melb. Then all the different kind of Ants I found here some of which show most peculiar modes of leaving, working and attacking.
My barometrical and meteorological observations will be of some interest to Professor Neumayer's Department.
The specimens of objects of Natural history will be send by Steamer from here to Melb. I have not much collected for want of time & things worth collecting; but what I have to send is worth keeping.
Please send me two otave books (Reichenbach & Gould) on Goulds birds - the same I had the pleasure of presenting to the Royal Society, I could work & collect much better with them, as a good deal of time would be gained when in possession of them.
To day 3 bullocks are killed in the depot, to make dry meat to be brought up to Mr Burke as soon as Mr Wright thinks proper.