150 MEMOIR OF DR. HARVEY. 



well, and apparently not older than when I saw her five years 

 ago. Her last birthday was seventy-six. We went out boating, 

 and picking AlgEe together ; and she took me to the habitat 

 of Teedii, six miles distant, where she had discovered this rare 

 plant the year in which I was born. The habitat is only a few 

 yards square, and it has never been found growing anywhere 

 else in England. I was fortunate in gathering a few branches, 

 which made up afterwards into twenty or thirty specimens. 

 I return your plants named, and am, 



My dear Thompson, 



Yours always. 



To Miss F 1 



December 12, 1844. 



As far as appears, the odd-looking thing that you found on 

 your dahlia stems is the Sclerotium varium, a sort of fungus ; but 

 I have sent specimens to Mr. Berkeley, the highest authority in 

 such matters, and so if it prove to be anything grander, you shall 

 know in time. You could not do better than take to gathering 

 old sticks, and rotten straws and leaves, on which a new world of 

 vegetables find subsistence. Many of them are highly beauti- 

 ful and curious, and you will be very likely to find new species. 

 Now is the time. This is the summer of fungi. 



"Agarics and fungi with mildew and mould, 

 Started like mist from the wet ground cold," &c. 



To N. B. Ward, Esq. 



Trinity College, January 18th, 1845. 

 When your welcome letter arrived, I was wandering in the 

 County of Tipperary, and since my return have not had many 

 hours, or even moments, in which I could write a letter. 

 I spent Christmas at Plassey, and was absent in all about three 

 weeks. The task on which I am at present busy is not a very 

 interesting one, nor does it add much to my knowledge. My 

 days are spent in laying down on the papers specimens to be 

 glued by a woman, who is constantly so employed in the next 

 room. We have been more than a month at Composite. Till 

 this most necessary work is completed, I have no time to 

 examine the large collections of unnamed plants under my 

 care. 



