392 CORRESPONDENCE. [1852, 



Captain Wilkes about my work for the Exploring Ex- 

 pedition botany. It is now made up, I think, or 

 nearly, but I have had no pay from them for a long- 

 time, and they are a year behind in paying. I have 

 got manuscript of several families all ready for the 

 press, and some fine drawings. I am just now 

 working up " Plantse Wrightianse," 1851 collection, 

 up to end of Composite, old stopping-place, but must 

 dash beyond that soon. . . . 



TO W. J. HOOKER. 



CAMBRIDGE, December 4, 1852. 



Here is a discovery ! I have to-day received by 

 post from Dr. J. F. Beaumont, of Mountain Home, in 

 the upper part of Alabama, specimens of a Tricho- 

 manes, which he finds growing there under shelving 

 rocks. I send you herewith the half of what is sent 

 me, knowing you will be much interested in the dis- 

 covery, for the first time, of a Trichomanes in the 

 United States; and thinking that you will probably 

 pronounce it to be a form of the T. radicans, though 

 so much smaller than my Irish and West Indian speci- 

 mens. ... I have not specimens enough of T. radi- 

 cans to satisfy myself entirely, and refer the question 

 to your experienced judgment. Pray give me your 

 opinion, for the addition of a single species to 

 our few ferns, and especially one of this group, is a 

 matter of moment to us, and worthy of a published 

 notice. 



I should not be so greatly surprised now if Hyme- 

 nophyllum ciliatum, credited by Willdenow to Vir- 

 ginia, should turn up, but I still think there was some 

 mistake about that ; and I could find no specimen in 

 Willdenow' s herbarium when I sought for it, in 

 1839. 



