
          San Antonio Decr. [December] 4. 1852


 My Dear Doctor.


 I received yesterday a long
 letter from Dr. Engelmann asking inquiries
 about the living Cactaceae collected & sent him
 by Mr. Wright & myself. He enumerates 12
 species of Mammillaria 8 of them new species
 & but one of them complete with respect to flower
 fruit & living plant. He enumerates 11 species
 of Echinocactus 6 of them new 3 of them marked
 complete & 2 blank which I suppose [crossed out: illegible] [added: are] also complete
 because [crossed out: because] the parts wanting in the others
 are indicated. We sent him 11 Cerei. 3 new
 ones 5 only complete. We also sent him 13 (according 
 to his enumeration) species of Opuntia 2 to 4 of
 which are only complete. I may observe however
 that [added: he] has marked one as distinct of which I only sent
 seeds and is identical with another under a different
 name and he has also enumerated O. [Opuntia] vaginata
 & O. Frutescens as distinct which I am certain are
 identical.  We have therefore only 11 Opuntiae.
 He informs me that he is now engaged in working
 out the Cactaceae to be published in the Smithsonian
 Contributions. In the plants I sent by Mr. Wright
 & the ones I sent a week or two ago I have flowers 
 & seeds of several which he much wants.

        