430 CORRESPONDENCE. [1857, 



thought fit to put into the hands of young beginners. 

 Here botany is taught, somehow or other, in most 

 schools, and generally by incompetent teachers from 

 wretched books, i. e., those used in the ordinary 

 schools and for young people. 



I have endeavored, in the little book I send you, to 

 make real science as easy and simple as possible. I 

 doubt if I have yet aimed low enough; but the book 

 seems to take, and promises to be useful. 



Although not adapted for your meridian (where 

 you have doubtless' good elementary books enough), 

 yet when your boy, who must now be five or six years 

 old, if he has been spared to you, gets a few years 

 older, I shall be much gratified if this little volume 

 should interest him, and aid you somewhat in devel- 

 oping in his mind a love for the study of nature in 

 one of its pleasantest branches. . . . 



I want to offer you my new " Manual of the Botany 

 of the Northern United States," not that it can be of 

 any use or of much interest to you, but must not load 

 my kind acquaintance with more parcels. I wait for 

 an opportunity of sending through the booksellers, 

 before long. 



TO JAMES D. DANA. 



November 7, 1857. 



If you have plenty, please send me two more copies 

 of your " Thoughts on Species." 



I first read it carefully, a week ago, and I meant to 

 write you at once how I like it, and a few remarks, 

 but something prevented at the time, and I have been 

 very busy and preoccupied ever since. 



For the reason that I like the general doctrine, and 

 wish to see it established, so much the more I am 



