Lenorman, René Rec. June 11 Ans. Oct. 25 1867 



Vire, May 22, 1860 



Dear Sir, 



I hurry to thank you for the precious présent that you had the kindness of sending me. 

 Yesterday I received in perfect condition your works on Cactacea, on Cuscutea and on 

 two new species of Graminee particular to the United States. The magnificent 

 illustrations of the first were absolutely admirable. It is impossible to see anything more 

 perfect. You are to be complimented for the exécution which leaves nothing to be desired 

 and for the complète analysis of each species. I probably would not recognize any of 

 thèse plants if it were not for your drawings and descriptions; I can never-the-less say 

 that I will recognize them much better than the majority of the spécimen that I own. You 

 have built for the men of science a splendid monument, that places you first among 

 those that cultivate science with the greatest success. I wonder, have you not become 

 interested in other groups of végétation that are rare, difficult to grow and nearly 

 impossible to préserve? I would encourage you to become interested in this subject with 

 a monograph that will immortalize the one who is recognized by ail présent and future 

 botanists. I am also happy that you have judged me worthy to own such a precious work. 

 I will place it in a location of honor in my library so that it immediately can be viewed by 

 friends that corne and visit me. After me, it will surely find a meritorious place, together 

 with my botanical collections, in the gallery of books of natural history at the University of 

 Caen, that is one of the richest and best preserved. 



Your excellent monograph of the Cuscuta, I will use more frequently and will use it right 

 away to classify the spécimen that I now have. This job will not be difficult, because you 

 already had the kindness to study and classify them; I hope to be able to increase their 

 number, and will now be able to recognize those that I receive. In the meantime I will 

 save for you a part of the samples that I deem interesting and will place them together 

 with the other things that I send you. I would like the opinion of the master so that I do 

 not make any mistakes in species and genders that présent serious difficulties. 



The two new graminee, that were worthy of your attention, are most interesting and I 

 wonder if you would be so kind and provide me with some samples, if that should be 

 possible. I have in my collection a goodly number of Glumocea. Thèse, with the two 

 gender that you have created, would be for me a great treasure. 



I am trying with more fervor that ever to enrich my herbarium as much as possible, 

 since I gave much of it to the University of Caen. By doing this I will be sure that, when I 

 am in another world, where I would still like to work in a herbarium, if that were possible, 

 my collections will be useful to science. I would not want this if I new that they would be 

 destroyed after my death. They will join those of my friends Lamouroux from Urville, 

 Turpin and Chavin who have already been placed in the gallery of botanists and will be 

 consulted by those who will corne after me, and who will love, like we do, to work with our 

 dear botany. 



This destiny is what makes me fear not to be indiscrète in renewing my pleas together 

 with my friends, of the promises they have been so kind to make. You are, dear Sir, one 

 of those that I must address. Not only am I expecting some plants, but also the 



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