*T. 76.] TO J. D. HOOKER. 811 



Cambridge, October 24, ISST. 

 Dear Eedfield, — Thanks, many, for letter of 

 the 22d. . . . 



We have had " a good time," and after long play 

 I am getting down to work. . . . 



Thanks to you all for your congratulations, in which 

 my good wife sincerely joins. , 



Yours affectionately, Asa Gray. 



Hebbakium of HakVakd Univeksitt. 

 Botanic Garden, Cambkidge, Mass., October, 1887. 



Dear" Hooker, — Your welcome letter in this 

 morning. I was just writing a notice of Ampelidese, 

 and your remarks are in time for me to sharpen it up 

 a bit. I think I can smash his notice about Ampe- 

 lopsis. 



Who is Miss Grant, who says she knows you both ? 

 She sculps, I believe. Ever yours, 



A. Gray. 



There was much to do on getting home and settling 

 down again, and many things were planned for the 

 winter's work. Dr. Gray particularly wished to write 

 some accounts of the old botanists he had seen in his 

 earlier visits, being stirred thereto by Reichenbach i of 

 Hamburg, and by the stories he told one evening at Dr. 

 Oliver's, at Kew, when aU agreed it was a pity some 

 of these characteristic things should not go on record. 

 He took up work on the " Flora," wrote a review of 

 " Darwin's Life and Letters," and had a busy time 

 before him. 



Professor Baird, director of the Smithsonian, and an 



1 Heinrich Gustav Keichenbaoh, 182.3-1889 ; professor of botany at 

 Hamburg, and an authority on orchids. 



