
          [indecipherable symbol or doodle]
 I count upon your informing me,
 in every instance, where my determination
 of the Kooskoosky [i.e. Kooskooskie River region] plants is erroneous in your
 view}


 44 Sixth Street, N.Y. [pencilled note: 1848]
 Wedy. [Wednesday] Morng. [Morning] 25 Apl. [April]


 My dear friend--


 I have just nailed down the Box of Kooskoosky 
 plants, which I purpose sending to you by the Freight Train
 to-morrow (Thurs'y [Thursday] Aft'n ]Afternoon]) & of which I now "render previous advice,"
 as agreed-- I have had great pleasure & amusement in examining
 these specimens, &, as between your goodself & me, I regard it as
 another instance of kindness for which I am indebted to your long
 experienced friendship; but so far as the "Washington Institute" [the Smithsonian Institution]
 is concerned, I conceive that I have thoroughly earned my abstractions
 from the collection, by the time & study I have devoted to
 it; & I may conscientiously affirm, that I doubt whether they could
 have found any one else to work so cheaply. Two days since
 I rec'd [received] a letter from [Asa] Gray, informing me that he has had sent to him
 Spalding's [probably Henry Harmon Spalding] entire collection! (a large mass, it appears) from which
 the Washington Inst'e [Institute] plants, were merely selected as a set! Gray, of
 course, chuckles over our small nibblings, & offers me much more
 "glorious pickings" if I wd. [would] go to Cambridge, & lay out the sets,
 but this I decline. It appears he is to make liberal abstractions
 for himself, & then to subdivide (& name?) the remainder, &
 to dispose of them for the benefit of Spalding, the Collector. In 
 replying to his letter, I have called his attention to what I 
 consider new Compos'ae [Compositae] & which you will see noted, as you
 go thro' [through] the set. I intended to make my "Report" only to you,
 but as he has got the plants, himself, I thought it might save
 you trouble, as I knew you wd. [would] refer all quiddities in this
 order, for his consideration-- which you now need not do.


 The Umbelliferae, gave me a good deal of pleasure, as they
 were mostly new to me, & I laboured carefully at them, but
 as the fruit was wnting, in almost all cases, I do not feel
 entirely certain, as to my decision, & I must beg you to
 go over my work, here, very critically, & report all errors.
 The Compositae, also interested me very much, & especially


 [The following written vertically in left margin:]


 {You will find, I think a new Cymopterus.}
        