218 
choosing to retail their opinions on that as well as 
other subjects, that it gave me great pleasure to 
have, what one might call, a practical defence of 
your assertions. In consequence I have mentioned 
to some friends the anecdote. 
You expect an account of some discoveries ; but 
whilst you are daily treading new ground, how am 
I to supply you with any thing new? I have not 
met with any thing new in the Cryptogamia this 
winter, and in the other classes one has nothing 
to expect. Dickson’s journey to Scotland has how- 
ever produced enough, at least according to Crowe’s 
account, to surprise you on your return. He says 
that he believes he goes not more than half way, 
when he declares that Dickson has discovered one 
hundred and fifty new species of Mosses, Junger- 
mannie, &c., and Lichens, and some of them so 
completely unlike any thing discovered before in 
those genera, as to be wonderful; but whether they 
will excite your wonder as much as ours is rather 
doubtful. For my own part, not having been at 
London this winter, I have seen none of them ; 
and Crowe’s portmanteau, in which were many of 
these treasures, was stolen on its way to the coach, 
by which they, as well as his wardrobe, were irrepa- 
rably lost. Iwas at Norwich last Saturday, when I 
saw Mrs. Smith, your father being out of town; 
and she was so kind as to communicate to me great 
part of aletter from you of the same date as mine ; 
but they were so different, that each of us received 
much pleasure from the exchange of intelligence. 
Pitchford and his wife desire their affectionate com- 
