1763.] PETER COLLINSON. 249 



on each side, reaching from the fore to the hind foot, like a flying 

 squirrel. 



I take our "wild cat to be a lynx, in every respect like a cat, but 

 a short tail. Kalm told me it is like theirs. * * 



"We have many accounts from the different 

 parts of Europe, of the severe cold of last winter, nay, even from 

 Rome ; and yet my dear Peter mentions not a syllable how it 

 fared with his garden. * 



PETER COLLINSON TO JOHN BARTRAM. 



London, May 10, 1763. 



I have pleasure upon pleasure beyond measure, with perusing my 

 dear John's letters, of October 31st, with the rare plants in Eden, 

 which I answered 23d of February. Then I have to thank thee 

 for thine, December 3d, and January 6th. My last to thee was 

 April 7th, by packet, giving an account of the arrival of the 

 seeds, after a visit to Spain. * * 



It is really very wonderful that, as thy ramble was amongst the 

 wastes, wilds, and unfrequented countries, no more wild animals 

 were seen. From whence, then, comes that vast quantity and 

 great variety of skins of animals that I have this year seen in our 

 public sales ? What does thou think of two or three thousand 

 raccoon skins ? Where do they hide themselves, that thou didst 

 not see one ? * * 



* * I can only now acknowledge thy piece of natural history 

 of the countries thou passed through ; and the map annexed is both 

 entertaining and informing. 



Yesterday I saw at my neighbour Ponthieu's, the Warneria 

 [Hydrastis Canadensis, L.], or Yellow Root, in flower. It is 

 singular to have no petals. * * 



Think, my dear John, with what amazement and delight I, with 

 Doctor Solander, surveyed the quire of specimens. He thinks 

 near half are new genera. This will enrich the fountain of know- 

 ledge. The Doctor is very busy examining them. I hope soon to 

 send thee a list of them. * * But what surprises 



us most, is the Tipitvwitchet Sensitive. It is quite a new species, 

 a new genus. It was impossible to comprehend it from any 

 description, which made me so very impatient to see it. I wish 

 we had good seed ; I doubt not but Gordon would raise it. But so 



