398 CORRESPONDENCE. [1853, 



But you thought it would not then be quite proper to 

 request it. Now that the institution has given such 

 evidences of its vigor and productiveness, and that I 

 can assure you it is only beginning to do its work, 

 and that in number of volumes it will soon overtake 

 you, I venture to renew the request which I was then 

 requested to make ; and I think that your society, 

 with these assurances, and in view of the good offices 

 of the Smithsonian in promoting interchanges (at no 

 small expense), would freely accord the earlier vol- 

 umes of its memoirs, on your proposition. . . . 



Dr. Harris ^ has made interesting researches on the 

 plants cultivated by our aborigines, which I urge him 

 to publish ; but he is one of those persons who are 

 never quite ready to print as long as they live. 



I have long suspected that Helianthus tuberosus 

 came from North America. I should like to study 

 from what indigenous species it comes. . . . 



As to the " Botany of the South Sea Exploring Ex- 

 pedition," the manuscript and the drawings are ready 

 up nearly to the Leguminosse ; and the printing, which 

 is not mider my control, is about to commence. The 

 work will probably make three quarto volumes and 

 300 folio plates. I shall be sure to have a copy to 

 send you. As to the specimens, there are few dupli- 

 cates ; and of these I am not myself allowed to retain 

 any. Possibly, hereafter, some may be awarded to 

 me. That expedition did not land on the high Antarctic 

 coasts it saw, and therefore made no collections there. 

 Its Antarctic collection is all from Orange Harbor, 

 Tierra del Fuego, and has little that is new. 



The most interesting part of the collection was 

 made at the Sandwich and Feejee islands. 



' Thaddeus Wm. Harris, 1795-1856 ; librarian of Harvard College 

 and a distinguished entomologist. 



