Thomas Jefferson Papers

From Thomas Jefferson to John Stuart, 14 February 1801

To John Stuart

Washington Feb. 14. 1801.

Sir

You were chosen a member of the American philosophical society so long ago as 1797. and as I lived at a distance from Philadelphia, the Secretaries were advised how to address your diploma when it should be filled up. by some accident unexplained to me it seems it has never been forwarded. I did not know this till I recieved it a few days ago. I have the honour now to inclose it. the bones you were so kind as to forward to me, with some supplementary ones I luckily obtained from another gentleman are considered as a valuable deposit in the collection of the society. there are two papers on their subject in their last volume. I am with much respect Sir

Your most obedt. servt

Th: Jefferson

RC (WvLe); at foot of text: “Colo. John Stewart.” PrC (MHi); endorsed by TJ in ink on verso.

Stuart, who in 1796 had sent TJ the newly discovered bones of the megalonyx, was elected to membership in the APS description begins American Philosophical Society description ends in April 1797. TJ obtained supplementary specimens of the prehistoric sloth from Samuel Hopkins of New York (APS description begins American Philosophical Society description ends , Proceedings, 22, pt. 3 [1884], 256; Vol. 29:64, 152, 291).

Two papers: TJ’s report on the megalonyx and Caspar Wistar’s technical description of the bones (APS description begins American Philosophical Society description ends , Transactions, 4 [1799], 246–60, 526–31; Vol. 29:299–300n).

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