
          Washington D.C. Jany [January] 18th 1851.

Dr. Jno [John] Torrey

Respected Sir.

Your very friendly letter of the 6th inst. [instant] was
duly recd [received]; and  I really do wish that the same could be answered
so as to prove satisfactory to us both, but I deeply regret
that under present circumstances it cannot be so.

In relation to the Fern book, the Library Committee seem
determined to have the English specific Character to follow its
Latin translation; and that my name is to be prefixed to the
new species, in place of sp. nov. [species nova]. Now with regard to these specific
Chart [Characters] I would state to you as I did lately to Captn [Captain] Wilkes, that
when the Mss [Manuscript] was written, that it was not intended that they
should be printed at all, otherwise I would not have drawn out
such detailed descriptions, but would rather have made my
remarks more full on the species individually; and with respect
to my name being attached to the new sps [species], I would state that
I very willingly through the suggestion of Dr Gray, and I believe yourself, 
agreed to have sp. nov. [species nova] substituted for it.  But my book the
Committee says must just be like Dr Dana�s in the arrangement
of its matter, and you will see that this is impossible, for as
you will perceive, there will be 1st [first] the Latin Specific Char [Character], 2d [second]
the same in English, and 3rdly [thirdly]  a detailed specific description, which
will form a regular piece of tautology from beginning to end.
In fact I am heartily sick (after all my labours with yours
combined) in contemplating the present state of things, and what
may be the end of this crooked affair. You truly say that
if my position was an independent one �that we might do
certain things, and which Iagree we could, and the stand that
        