«T. 43.] TO A. DE CANDOLLE. 409 



consider, and no very pat name at once applicable 

 both to the species and the discoverer occurs to me. 



"Thurberia palmata" might pass, and -would angli- 

 cize into " the handy Thurber,^' but then the hand 

 has. only three fingers. 



" T. tridactyla " would meet this ; but only birds are 

 tridactylous ; besides, the uppermost leaves are entire. 



Taking another tack, from its smoothness, we might 

 say, T. glabra or T. Isevis ; or, as I believe you have 

 not a strong beard, T. imberbis. But, on the whole, 

 perhaps it would be as well to indicate merely the 

 nearest affinity of the genus, and call it " Thurberia 

 thespesioides," as it is nearest Thespesia. Take your 

 choice, though, of any of the above, to which add " T. 

 rosea," if the color of the flower warrants that name. 



TO A. DB CAKDOLLE. 



Cambridge, June 1, 1854. 



My dear Friend, — It was with great pleasure 

 that I received from you, two days ago, your letter of 

 the 2d May. I counted myself your debtor, although, 

 indeed, my last letter of 18th October is of later date 

 than yours of the 1st October, which it crossed on the 

 ocean, and I was only waiting imtil I could announce 

 a small envoi to you, namely, that of a copy of the 

 1st volume of the " Botany of the United States Ex- 

 ploring Expedition in the South Seas," which has been 

 more than a year in printing. This 4th volume (777 

 pages) is at length happily printed off, and just in 

 time, too, for sending you a copy (unbound, direct 

 from the printing-office at Philadelphia) in the an- 

 nual envoi of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The atlas, of 100 plates in folio, which should ac- 

 company this volume, is by no means ready, owing 



