Lyell, a brother of Sir Charles.) Down, January 26th [1856].
I shall be very glad to be of any sort of use to you in regard to the beetles.

But first let me thank you for your kind note and offer of specimens to my children.

My boys are all butterfly hunters; and all young and ardent lepidopterists despise, from the bottom of their souls, coleopterists.
The simplest plan for your end and for the good of entomology, I should think, would be to offer the collection to Dr.J.E.Gray for the British Museum on condition that a perfect set was made out for you.

If the collection was at all valuable, I should think he would be very glad to have this done.

Whether any third set would be worth making out would depend on the value of the collection.