186 



Mycologia 



According to Wood, Curtis was in correspondence with Torrey 

 as early as 1833 (21, p. 15 ) and met Ravenel in 1835. By 1840 

 he was carrying on a correspondence and exchange of specimens 

 with Darlington and others and had accumulated an herbarium.^ 

 His correspondence was, however, confined to America,^ and 

 even late as 1844 his letters are devoted chiefly to phanerogams. 



In 1845 Tuckerman seems to have given definite stimulus to 

 Curtis' interest in cryptogams by requesting his assistance in col- 

 lecting lichens, to which Curtis replies enthusiastically as follows : 



Hillsborough, N. C, Nov. 7, 45. 



Dear Sir: 



Your letter reached me today, and I give an early answer 

 as you desire. Your request, particularly when I consider 

 the ground & purpose of it, has certainly my " sympathy ", 

 but I cannot now say how much you may expect from my 

 " cooperation I have several times thought I would take 

 up the Lichens, & once made a small collection in the Low 

 Country of this State, but the difficulty of studying without 

 books embarrassed my progress & damped my zeal pretty 

 efifectually. Consequently I have now little on hand. 



I am desirous of seeing a complete N. A. Flora, & am 

 therefore glad that your attention is directed to a depart- 

 ment which, if left to Torrey or Gray, would, I suppose, get 

 a go-by. And I am willing to do what I can to help you on 

 in the work, but my ability will not perhaps go to the extent 

 of your wishes & need. I am at present in a region not 

 abundant in interesting vegetable forms. It is probably in 

 the swamps of the low country that peculiar forms of 

 Lichens would be found, where the soil, climate, & elevation, 

 are so dififerent from the N. States. The middle region of 

 the South is not so much unlike the North, & has much more 

 of the Northern Flora. Besides, my present habitat has the 

 precise features of that occupied by Schweinitz, when a resi- 

 dent of this State. It is not likely therefore that I should 

 procure anything here which he has not already furnished . 

 Fries with. Nevertheless, I am disposed to try, & if leisure 

 & health permit I will endeavor to collect something this 

 winter for you. Without practice in this line, & with hardly 

 any knowledge of species, it is not unlikely that I shall 



5 Letter to Tuckerman dated Portsmouth, N. C, Sept. 7, 1840. 



6 Letter to Tuckerman dated Washington, N. C, Feb. 11, 1841. 



