^T. 29.J TO W. J. HOOKER. 273 



any separate inclosure was utterly forbidden, added 

 difficulties almost insurmountable to the transmission 

 of any specimen. Even as late as 1850 the large 

 parcels from St. Louis were sent by steamboat to New 

 Orleans and then by sailing vessel to New York or 

 Boston. 



Foreign communication was not much better, as Dr. 

 Gray writes to Sir William Hooker in March, 1840 : 

 " I have been waiting during the winter to write by 

 some of the steamships, but they have disappointed 

 us, and, though long expected, none reached us until 

 the arrival of the Great Western a week or more 

 since, which brought us fifty-six days' later intelli- 

 gence from Europe." 



TO W. J. HOOKEE. 



New York, May 30, 1840. 

 I have been tolerably industrious for some years, 

 but have never labored as I have done this winter 

 and spring. But I look now for a little respite, which 

 I greatly need. I have this afternoon written the de- 

 scription of the last plant we have to give in the 1st 

 volume of the " Flora " (a new cucurbitaceous genus, 

 of which more anon) ; have prepared the last sheet 

 . for the press, — that is, of the work proper, which 

 reaches to page 656 instead of 550, as intended ; and 

 have before me proofs of the supplement extending to 

 page 672 ; what is yet to come wiU make up the 

 volume to 720 pages ! It has extended beyond all 

 calculations or bounds, but we could not stop short. I 

 hope to have done with the proofs early next week, 

 when I expect to go immediately into the country and 

 recruit for three or four weeks, for I am quite fagged 

 out. Except, however, mere fatigue and the usual 



