. 43.] TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 409 



consider, and no very pat name at once applicable 

 both to the species and the discoverer occurs to me. 



"Thurberia palmata" might pass, and would angli- 

 cize into " the handy Thurber," but then the hand 

 has only three fingers. 



" T. tridactyla " would meet this ; but only birds are 

 tridactylous ; besides, the uppermost leaves are entire. 



Taking another tack, from its smoothness, we might 

 say, T. glabra or T. Ia3 vis ; or, as I believe you have 

 not a strong beard, T. imberbis. But, on the whole, 

 perhaps it would be as well to indicate merely the 

 nearest affinity of the genus, and call it "Thurberia 

 thespesioides," as it is nearest Thespesia. Take your 

 choice, though, of any of the above, to which add " T. 

 rosea," if the color of the flower warrants that name. 



TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 



CAMBRIDGE, June 1, 1854. 



MY DEAR FRIEND, - - It was with great pleasure 

 that I received from you, two days ago, your letter of 

 the 2d May. I counted myself your debtor, although, 

 indeed, my last letter of 18th October is of later date 

 than yours of the 1st October, which it crossed on the 

 ocean, and I was only waiting until I could announce 

 a small envoi to you, namely, that of a copy of the 

 1st volume of the " Botany of the United States Ex- 

 ploring Expedition in the South Seas," which has been 

 more than a year in printing. This 4th volume (777 

 pages) is at length happily printed off, and just in 

 time, too, for sending you a copy (unbound, direct 

 from the printing-office at Philadelphia) in the an- 

 nual envoi of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The atlas, of 100 plates in folio, which should ac- 

 company this volume, is by no means ready, owing 



