152 MEMOIR OF DR. HARVEY. 



To the Same. 



Eoche's Hotel, Killarney, August 23, 1845. 

 I am glad my birthday offering from Brandon was accept- 

 able to you, and hope it may grow. The aspect of the ledge 

 (3000 and odd feet above the sea) is north-east, quite exposed 

 to solar influence, but much encompassed with wet mists and 

 showers all the year round, and its quantum of snow in winter 

 is probably small, as the mountain rises nearly on the seashore. 

 You might put him in your Tintern Abbey case, I should 

 think. 



I now enclose Hook. Isete-virens, from O'Sullivan's cascade. 

 It will grow under the Tricliomanes in a case; moisture, 

 shade, and warmth required. You write for roots of Triclio- 

 manes, and, if in my power, you shall have them. I say " if in 

 my power," for I have not yet been to its habitat, and know not 

 in what abundance or scarcity it may be now. If very scarce, 

 I shall grudge to pull it. If it can be removed without rooting 

 out the plant altogether, you shall have it. We visited Andrew's 

 habitat a few days ago, but I abstained from gathering a single 

 frond or touching a root, because it had recently been so shame- 

 fully bemauled by "a botanical pirate," a robbery which it will 

 take many years to recover. The plant just exists, and no 

 more. You know there are sundry stations in the County of 

 Cork from which probably the London dealer has supplied him- 

 self. Our best chance is to find a new one here. In the old I 

 fear there is but little. 



I was greatly struck with the beauty of one of the varieties of 

 Asp. dilatatum in the woods here, and mean to send you a plant 

 of it by the next steamer. When well grown and large, it 

 equals in beauty almost any exotic fern of its dimensions that 

 I know. It has jet-black stems, pale-green and curly, or 

 concave foliage, and, at a little distance, is like a gigantic 

 Tricliomanes. It grows in pine-woods, in dryish situations. 

 Would you were here, indeed ! Mind this — whenever you go to 

 Killarney, you must call on me to act as guide. You would 

 luxuriate in the growth of all things here. 



Ever yours, 



W. H. H. 



