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[Page 2]
fetch in England. I informed you by the Glatton, that I had been told by a native, that this animal burrowed underground, and layed eggs. I asked many of them before I could learn this; yet all of them could tell me that they copulated like a duck.
But concerning the ant eater, I could not get any satisfactory accounts. I have teazed the natives much about it since I have failed in going to the southward, and they tell me that it burrows in the ground, and sleeps all the winter, but when warm weather comes it then awakes. Whether they are deceived in the occurring of it I cannot say. The duck billed male they say is always to be met with, or to use their apellation, yan, which signifies walk. Whether I collect plants or not I am determined to spare no trouble about these animals.
I have now sent you 47 pages of the descriptions of plants, but many of them are yet incomplete, by not having examined the ripe seed vessels; these I shall examine when the season admits. Upon the labels of some plants, which I sent you by the Glatton, I have prefixed initials, in order that when I sent the description you might have a reference, but unfortunately I cannot find all my references. For future, I mean to avoid making use of either figures or initials in references, as I am well convinced that any temporary or nick-name is better retained in the memory.
I now am acquainted with a good assortment of plants, that I am unable to collect their seeds; and which I make no doubt but what few of them are at Kew. By large ships coming here now they might be sent in boxes, either few at a time, or fitted up as a garden. I wrote to Governor King requesting that he would