BY. 31.) TO W.J. HOOKER. 283 
received a letter stating that they had nothing yet for 
me to do, and permitting me to spend the winter in 
New York. In the spring of 1840, a committee of the 
regents wrote to me, to relinquish the provisional 
salary (of fifteen hundred dollars, on which I had 
been placed) for one year from that date, they relin- 
quishing my services for that period and allowing me 
to devote my time to the “ Flora,” ete. I at once ac- 
cepted their proposal; but although another year has 
now elapsed since the expiration of the period to 
which they proposed to limit this agreement, not a 
word have I heard officially or unofficially from Michi- 
gan. I have quietly awaited the result, ready at any 
moment to obey their call; but having no income for 
the last two years, I have been greatly embarrassed, 
and have struggled through great difficulties, I 
scarcely know how. Notwithstanding, I have thought 
until recently that I ought not to seek any other situa- 
tion. I shall now write to Michigan immediately, 
inquiring whether, in their present condition, they are 
ready to fulfill their engagements with me, or whether 
they would prefer to accept my resignation, which I 
shall offer. I expect, and on the whole hope, they 
will accept it. 
In December, or nearly the Ist of January last, a 
friend of mine here, who had some casual conversa- 
tion with the President of Harvard University, wished 
me to let my name be known as a candidate for the 
vacant chair of natural history there. After reflecting 
for a week or two, I wrote to B. D. Greene ! for some 
1 Benjamin D. Greene, 1798-1862. First studied law; then medi- 
cine in Seotland and Paris. Devoted himself to botany. “ His very 
valuable herbarium and botanical library were bequeathed to the 
Boston Natural History Society. He was always a most liberal and 
wise patron of science ” [ A. G.]. 
