166 THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SCHWEINITZ AND TORREY 
Excuse the great hurry with which I write not having a moment 
to lose, if I wish to make use of the present opportunity. 
Don’t forsake Flora altogether for Mineralogy & Geology, & 
believe me with sincere affection 
Your most obdt Serv 
L D v SCHWEINITZ 
[A Torrey letter seems missing here.] 
SCHWEINITZ TO TORREY 
BETHLEHEM December 18th 1822 
My dear Sir 
On the two first pages I have given you a list of my determi- 
nations of the different numbers of your Cryptogamic plants. 
Those underlined were new to me, at least in America—those 
doubly underlined have been named by me. It will scarcely be 
necessary to remark that it is exclusively the Fungi & Lichens 
upon which I conceive you may place dependence as correctly de- 
termined. Hepatic mosses but a few only occurred—& as for the 
Musci—more especially the Hypna I confess I despair of doing 
anything satisfactory—without observing them in nature. Some 
20 or thirty species of Hypnum may be easily distinguished; the 
rest I conceive almost mere matters of faith. How it happens that 
so great a number of the series appear blank I know not—prob- 
ably you sent me specimens of those numbers—For a dozen or 
two blanks to be sure, I fear I can account (those however were al- 
together of little moment) the Papers videlicet perished by one of 
those sad accidents which married botanists are subject to—under 
the careful hands of the ladies, who are, you know bitter enemies 
of all & everything that can by possibility be attacked with a 
broom. I most heartily wish that you may derive half as much 
satisfaction from my determinations as the kind communication 
of the specimens gave me. You will see what a considerable 
number form valuable additions to my collection. The whole 
number of Fungi—seen by me in Am. including those you sent 
now amount to about 1660 species of which I preserve nearly 
1300. Let me request you kindly to continue your communica- 
tions & to command anything in my power. I was delighted 
with the assurance your last agreeable letter contained, that you 
