Outgoing Correspondence from Robert Ridgway, May 5, 1867

              smithsonian institute washington d.c may 5th 1867 my dear mother i recieved your letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you indeed this morning i got a letter from mr king. he says for me to meet him at the irving house in new york on thursday evening next he sent me 50.00 with which to pay my expenses there and my city expenses he is a very kind and agreeable young man and i can not help liking him we sail from new york on the 11th inst in the steamer henry chauncey mr baird says we will arrive in san francisco early in june ma tell pa that i wish i had a hundred black-birds in my box instead of three. ours is a distinct species from the eastern one and i have the honor of first pointing out the specific differences in the two yesterday i mailed to pa a copy of the washington chronicle. in it you will see an article on our expedition the place you will find marked according to the paper i am i expect all most there at this time but it rather occurs to me that i havent started yet ma i am not the least bit home-sick yet and i feel in fine spirits happy as a lark i seldom think of home except when thinking of the folks let me know whether little jody ever thinks of me or has he forgotten me i wish very much that i had your's and pa's photographs tomorrow i will go to mr ulkes and get mine taken i am personally well acquainted with this scientific gentleman who is the most celebrated coleopterist in the country i have seen his collections which are the largest in the united states he is also an accomplished artist he is very desirous that