BOYHOOD. 21 



plants do not appear of a deeper or brighter green than H. 

 lucens. The fruit unfortunately was old, many of the capsules 

 had fallen, and many of the opercula, but it appeared from the 

 number of broken footstalks to have been in plenty. Should 

 thou think this letter worth replying to, thou wilt address me 

 as under, and permit me (again apologising for taking the 

 freedom to address thee) to subscribe myself, 



Very respectfully thine, 



W. Henry Harvey. 



Summer ville. Limerick, 



7 m0 - (July) 13, 1831. 



The kindness of Dr. Hooker's reply induced William to 

 despatch without delay a second letter, in which he says : " I 

 am only a very young Cryptogamist, in fact, scarcely more than 

 commencing the study. It is, however, very gratifying to have 

 discovered anything worthy of thy notice, and in the hope that 

 they will be acceptable, I enclose some plants, chiefly Algse, 

 which have either puzzled me, or which are marked rare in my 

 books of reference. I cannot express my gratitude for thy kind 

 offer of ( Scotch Cryp.' Nothing could be of more use to me in 

 my studies." 



This package contained Biccia natans, found by Mr. Fennell, 

 and a puzzling Sedum from East Ferry, Queenstown, Cork. 



To Mr. J. Fennell 



Miltown Malbay, September, 1831. 

 Send me a list of all the Algse thou hast named. The in- 

 articulate species found here up to the present time amount to 

 seventy-four, a respectable number, considering that there 

 are only 140 native species. The articulate (Confervse) are 

 seventy or eighty, perhaps more, but of several I do not know 

 the names, as they are not described in " Dillwyn." I long for 

 Hooker's second volume, but still more for his second letter — not 

 yet arrived — nor have I got the promised plants, but I live iD 

 hope. He has too much on his hands to expect him to answer 

 in haste so insignificant a correspondent as I am. I must rest 

 satisfied with his pleasure. I am likely to have a new corre- 

 spondent in a desirable quarter, viz., Belfast. Robert Patterson, 



