René Lenormand 



Rec. November 9th Ans. October 25 1867 



Vire, October 23, I863 



My dear Sir, 



I was delighted to receive, the day before yesterday, the verbal proceedings from the St. 

 Louis Academy of Sciences, that you had the kindness of addressing to me. I was happy 

 mainly because of the excellence of the work that you have published. They gave me 

 information about you, making me realize that you continue to be consecrated to the 

 study of our cherished botany. Not having heard from you since your last letter that you 

 so kindly wrote from Le Havre, at the time of your departure for America. I have 

 frequently been distressed and have been very anxious in regards to your comments 

 about that horrible war that is desolating the United States and filling the world with 

 blood. Have you been able to stay in the résidence that you took when you arrived? This 

 is the question that I have had not knowing where to send my letters. This is the reason 

 why you have not heard from me sooner. However I see, thank God, that the St. Louis 

 Academy of Science, is lucky in having you as président and that under your direction it 

 pursues many worthwhile avenues. I hurry therefore to establish correspondence with 

 you. This is so dear to me; its interruption caused me great distress. I wish that on your 

 behalf you will soon give me signs of life. 



The description and the illustration that you have given to several new species of 

 Gentiana, ardently makes me want to have some. If this should be possible, and 

 because I like this gender so much, I ask you in a most humble way, to be so kind to 

 send me some samples. This would make me very happy. 



On my side I still have many interesting things to offer you, as the plant richness does 

 not cease to abound in my herbarium, from parts of the world such as the west Indies, 

 Australia, and New Caledonia from where I have already received and am awaiting a 

 collection as rare as it is unusual. Two of my friends explore with indefatigable zeal, this 

 last country that is so new to science. I hope that the botanists from Paris who are in 

 charge of making it known to the scholars will be as quick in describing them as the 

 travelers are in discovering them. I hope I can présent you with a pretty New Caledonian 

 bouquet. 



Close to four months of last year, I prepared Australian Algae, of which I received a 

 large crate. I had to place them ail in water. I would not have done this had it not been for 

 my wife that came to my aid. She prepared the largest portion of about eleven thousand 

 samples that passed through our hands. They did not represent but about 100 species. I 

 was very interested in their study. This let me familiarize myself with a végétation that 

 was so new and so incompletely studied. If you have preserved some taste for the 

 charming family of the Algaes, it would give me great pleasure to share with you half of 

 what I own. 



