TO DR. R. WIGHT. 



li 



I have ordered for my microscope, a one-eighth object glass, and 

 one-twelvth, with other eye pieces : which will set me up until I 

 am settled. My instrument is first rate, equal to Mr. Grants, except 

 in magnificence, and the high powers, I recommend you Ross's dis- 

 secting microscope, price £5 ; it is very portable, very firm, and the 

 stage is large, so as to give support to the hands ; it has four simple 

 lenses, and a triplet : if you order one, insist on a sixth lens one- 

 eighth. Slack's microscope appeared to me very good, but I never 

 could get one made. 'Makers always will have their own way. 



There is every thing to be done in Ferns, but it ought to be in uni- 

 son with all the other Cryptogams. I have good materials, and 

 hope to add more to them, as I intend studying Ferns exclusively at 

 Malaccv-i. Did you ever meet with an odd looking spurious Brown- 

 lowia in Mangroves : I did at Malacca, and again in the Sunderbunds, 

 it has the habit of Heritiera, but is a Brownlowian Subgenus, with 

 three carpella : Grewia floribunda is a Grewia, with winged fruit, 

 is this enough to separate it. ? I should say yes ! Then I have 

 a Mergue one with many winged fruit, and pentadelphous stamens* 

 with the habit of that I sent you from Malacca. Give me your opinion 

 of G, floribunda from the accompanying sketch, as if different, I will 

 call it after Buxoo. I willingly accept your offer about Podoste- 

 mons, so pray send me the dedication, and I will endeavour to turn 

 out something worthy of the occasion, I mentioned the other one 



as remarkable for its ecostal capsules. Do you know 



......... ? He is like all other young hands, too fond of making new 



families. I well recollect the wholesome check, I got from you long 



ago on the absurdity of supposing all one finds to be new 



says his Garden is anxious to correspond with me, but why does 

 not he, or it begin ? I did not even know he had arrived, such is 

 the system of communication between Eastern Western Botanic 

 Gardens. 



M. is not singular in losing his English Correspondents. I 

 have suffered the same loss. I fancy from being a radical, or what is 

 thought one. But curious to say, my remarkable Plants in the Bo- 

 tanical Gardens have roused Lindley to resume his writings on 

 Orchideae. According to what Lemann says, nothing is thought of 

 but descriptions of species. I like Prof. Martius much from his let- 

 ters, and shall try to send him a paper on some important subject. 



