350 A DECADE OF WORK A T HOME. [1847, 



I have been addling my brain and straining my 

 eyes over a set of ignoble Pond-weeds (alias Potamo- 

 geton) trying to find the 



" difference there should be 

 Twixt tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee," 



and wasting about as much brain in the operation as 

 your dear paternal would exfiend in an intricate law 

 case, for all of which I suppose nobody will thank me 

 and I shall get no fee. Indeed, few would see the 

 least sense in devoting so much time to a set of vile 

 little weeds. But I could not slight them. The 

 Creator seems to have bestowed as much pains on 

 them, if we may use such a word, as upon more con- 

 spicuous things," so I do not see why I should not try 

 to study them out. But I shall be glad when they 

 are done, which I promise they shall be before I sleep. 

 10.45 P. M. — There, the pond- weeds are done fairly. 



TO W. J. HOOKER. 



Cambkidge, December 1st, 1847. 

 I reply early to your kind letter of October 30th to 

 assure you that I shall with much pleasure contribute 

 so far as I have opportunity to the new Botanical 

 Museum, which, under your charge, and with your 

 great opportunities for obtaining things from every 

 part of the world, will soon become a magnificent 

 collection. I have already several things to send you, 

 such as two very large entwined stems of Aristo- 

 lochia Sipho, which I brought from the mountains of 

 Carolina ; a Dasylirion from Texas, etc. I have some 

 time ago made arrangements for getting curious stems 

 from Para, through a friend in Salem, who will also 

 incite the masters and supercargoes of ships from that 

 port which trade with various out-of-the-way parts of 



