358 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME. [1848, 



Dr. Gray was married, May 4, 1848, to Jane 

 L., daughter of Charles Greely Loring, a lawyer in 

 Boston. In June they made a short journey to 

 Washington, that Dr. Gray might, on undertaking to 

 describe the plants of the United States Exploring 

 Expedition, see Commodore Wilkes. 



TO JOHN TORREY. 



CAMBRIDGE, 8th May, 1848. 



Yesterday I sent to Grant at Wiley's for you a 

 parcel containing some " Linnaeas," etc., received from 

 Hamburg, your copy of Seubert on Elatine, and a 

 bound copy of the " Genera Florae America Boreali- 

 Orientalis Illustrata," which I ask you to accept, and 

 which I trust you will like. There is also a specimen 

 inclosed of some vegetable product that has lately be- 

 come somewhat common here, and which I thought you 

 might like to examine. It is apparently of a rather 

 complicated structure, in fruit evidently, but syncar- 

 pous ; the heterogenous and baccate or fleshy ovaries 

 being immersed without apparent order in a farina- 

 ceous receptacle. If you should be at all puzzled 

 with it, and can't find out to what particular family 

 it belongs, you might call in the aid of Mrs. Torrey 

 and the girls, to aid in the investigation. I dare say 

 you will make it out. 



June, 1848. 



I am just home this morning, and as I had no time 

 yesterday to reply to your kind letter of Saturday, I 

 write at once now. . . . 



Friday evening we were at the White House, to see 

 Madame Polk. We have accomplished a great deal 

 of sight-seeing and all in our week and a day, and J. 



