548 SHEAR AND STEVENS: EzrA MICHENER 
A few years ago the writers discovered that Michener mounted 
the fungi in the Schweinitz herbarium in Philadelphia (11, p. 7), 
and while continuing their investigations on this important 
herbarium were able to determine the date of this work (10). In 
trying to determine this latter point the writers made a thorough 
search in the region about Dr. Michener’s home near Tough- 
kenamon, Pennsylvania, for documents which might throw light 
on the matter. 
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CURTIS AND OTHER BOTANISTS © 
Dr. Michener’s correspondence, which is known to have been 
voluminous and to have contained letters from some of the most 
eminent scientists of his time, including Curtis, Ravenel, and 
Tuckerman (see Harshberger 5, p. 180), appears to have been 
destroyed. No portion of it could be found either at his former 
residence, now occupied by his grandson, Ezra J. Webster, or 
elsewhere. Fortunately, however, Miss Alice Swayne, librarian 
of the Bayard Taylor Memorial Library, Kennett Square, Penn- 
sylvania, who had previously assisted the writers and was aware 
of their interest in the Michener correspondence, found a few pages 
of letter press copies of letters from him in his collection of shells 
now in the possession of the library. - Although there are but 
twelve sheets of this letter press, numbered consecutively 2 to 13, 
several of which are somewhat worn, some of the letters from Dr. 
Michener contain information of great value. That such frag- 
mentary records accidentally preserved must be depended on for 
information concerning a botanist who died only thirty years ago, 
argues a neglect in the preservation of accurate historical records 
which is most unfortunate. 
Two letters to Curtis, copies of which were found in the letter 
press referred to, throw so much light on Michener’s purpose and > 
methods in taking up the study of fungi, as well as on his personal 
relations with Curtis that they are here included nearly in full. 
: [6]* NEw GARDEN 26th of 11th mo 1855 
Dear Friend: 
seems a long time since I have written to thee. Thy note of Sept 11th came 
duly to hand, requesting to have some of Botrytis infestans and would have been 
* Figures refer to pages of the letter press. 
