zT, 45.] TO W. J. HOOKER. 423 
“ Filices ;” for a fire in Philadelphia has consumed 
all of the poor fellow’s edition of the volume except 
ten copies which had been sold mostly in Europe. A 
sad and a heavy loss to B., who had no insurance, 
and something to me who had advanced to him the 
paper for printing it on, which now the poor fellow 
is in no condition to pay for. I have not even a copy 
of the atlas myself, but I shall get one from the gov- 
ernment plates, which are preserved. Brackenridge 
utterly despairs of reprinting it. But possibly the 
government will set up the type for him again, as 
they have also lost a part of their small impression. 
Otherwise the book will have the value of excessive 
rarity, if it has no other. . . 
May 25, 1857. 
I hear with delight that you are meditating a trip 
to America, and I write forthwith to express my own 
and Mrs. Gray’s and my good father-in-law’s earnest 
hope that you will come over, even if it be for a few 
weeks only. The rest of the voyage cannot but be 
useful to so busy a person as you constantly are, and 
a run through the country,-and a sight of the Yankee 
world, would interest you. At the Montreal scientific 
meeting you would see several old friends and many 
new ones. Torrey, Greene, Darlington,! James,’ ete., 
would be half frantic with pleasure at the thought of 
seeing you; so it will not do to hint at such a thing, 
until you give me authority; and as for my wife and 
m Darlington, M. D., 1782-1863, of West Chester, Penn. ; 
author of Flora Cestrica, “one of the best of local Floras,”’ and 
Memorials of Bartram and Marshall, ete. ‘‘ A most faithful botanist. 
is forte was the clear and accurate description of plants ” 
2 Thomas Potts James, 1804-1882. Born in Radnor, Pista. : 
proficient and authority in bryology. 
on) 
