Hi my name is Kent Fothergill. The name of the blog invokes two ideas in my mind: 1) a soup made out of biologists or 2) a soup made by biologists. The goal is to achieve #2 – a delicious and healthful blending of a the tasty bits that occur in the day to day life of a biologist, simmering in the rich broth of life. The tone of this blog is hopefully fun and informal. Biology is my passion. Welcome to the blog. I hope you enjoy it.
biologistsoup
a biologist writing about biology
biologistsoup 
The occasional comic strips are a healthy ingredient, I think. Biologists need a laugh after all that neck-straining work of various kinds. Thanks for the enjoyed visit every time, Kent.
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Happy to have found you.
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I am honored to have pleased you.
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Dear Kent,
I sincerely appreciated your website. I am a french entomologist, specialized in Scarab beetles and I am looking for some american Geotrupid species to complete my private collection. I saw on some of your photos that you have some specimens of Cnemotrupes blackburnii excrementi Say, 1823. Would you be agree to exchange some specimens with me ( I could provide you many scarabs species from the Palaearctic region. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kindest regards from France
Jean-Bernard
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Dear Jean-Bernard
It would be an honor! Please forgive responding in English, as a Canadian living in the S. USA, it is much easier for me as I don’t get to practice my French much.
I also have some G. opacus (and a couple B. farctum) if you would like. As far as trading goes, my initial thought was you probably have some cool Chironids, but my second thought is that you need not go through the bother. I am happy that I can supply you some Geotrupidae.
Please send me the correct address for the museum or your home and I will get the insects in the mail. I do not know of any permits required to ship non-CITES dead insects from the USA, and assume you have the necessary permits to receive such. If I need to include a letter saying they are on an indefinite loan or other such silliness please let me know.
Best wishes for a wonderful new year
Kent
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Dear Kent,
Thank you so much for your kind reply 🙂 I would be very interested by all the Geotrupid species you proposed me. I am also interested by the following families if you have also some specimens to trade: Trogidae and Ochodaeidae.
For my own, I could provide you some Chironid species (i.e. Theotimius grandis, Chiron senegalensis, Ch. hovanus, Ch. cylindrus, Ch. volvulus) and nearly alll the French species of Geotrupidae (i.e. genera Geotrupes, Trypocopris, Thorectes…) or Trogidae (French species and some African taxa belonging to the genus Afromorgus). Just tell me what you are looking for (I have also many other Scarab beetles to trade).
I already receveid different insect specimens from USA without any problem. Perhaps it will be better to mention on the parcel “Dried specimens for scientific purposes, No commercial value”.
Please, could you send me a “blank mail” at my email address. I will use your private mail address to send you the place (my own address) to send the specimens.
Thank you so much one more time,
Best wishes for a wonderful entomological new year too,
Jean-Bernard
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Hi Kent and Kelly! I just wanted to say…. I’m really enjoying your posts! Somehow they made it to my new email and I am grateful. Thank you for all of the trash pick up that you do. Yes it’s too easy to walk by and figure that it is someone else’s problem, but every little bit helps.
I have two brothers that live and work in Washington DC so I’ve passed along your posts to them. I’m sure they’ll recognize some of the places you’ve written about.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Allison (from CSR long ago!)
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Wonderful to hear from you! If you end up in the area and want to paddle get in touch!
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