392 CORRESPONDENCE. [1852, 
Captain Wilkes about my work for the Exploring Ex- 
pedition botany. It is now made up, I think, or 
nearly, but I have had no pay from them for a long 
time, and they are a year behind in paying. I have 
got manuscript of several families all ready for the 
press, and some fine drawings. I am just now 
working up “ Plante Wrightianz,” 1851 collection, 
up to end of Composit, old stopping-place, but must 
dash beyond that soon... . 
TO W. J. HOOKER, 
Camprincr, December 4, 1852. 
Here is a discovery! I have to-day received by 
post from Dr. J. F. Beaumont, of Mountain Home, in 
the upper part of Alabama, specimens of a Tricho- 
manes, which he finds growing there under shelving 
rocks. I send you herewith the half of what is sent 
me, knowing you will be much interested in the dis- 
covery, for the first time, of a Trichomanes in the 
United States; and thinking that you will probably 
pronounce it to be a form of the T. radicans, though 
so much smaller than my Irish and West Indian speci- 
mens... . I have not specimens enough of T. radi- 
cans to satisfy myself entirely, and refer the question 
to your experienced judgment. Pray give me your 
opinion, for the addition of a single species to 
our few ferns, and especially one of his group, is a 
matter of moment to us, and worthy of a published 
notice. 
I should not be so greatly surprised now if Hyme- 
nophyllum ciliatum, credited by Willdenow to Vir- 
ginia, should turn up, but I still think there was some 
mistake about that; and I could find no specimen in 
Willdenow’s herbarium when I sought for it, in 
1839. 
