
          Dr. Torrey


 New York 25 July/46 [1846]


 My dear friend, 


 A few day since I wrote to our
 friend Gray, enquiring after you, & was much grieved (shall
 I say angry?) to learn that you passed thro' the City without
 giving me a call, upon which I counted with pleasant Anticipation.
 However, tho' you deserve scolding, that is not my
 present purpose, I therefore leave you to the upbraidings of
 your own conscience, & proceed to tell you that I received
 yesterday, a box from Dr. Engelmann of St. Louis, containing
 parcels for all the botanists in the country, or nearly so, 
 (17 in all!) & amongst them one for your good self, &
 a paper of Carpels of Enslenia. Now what shall I do
 with them? Do you wish them forwarded to you, & by
 what means? This is the main object of my letter, but I
 shall also make it subserve another purpose in laying 
 before you one or two quiddities in connection with the
 State Flora, if, as I hope, the Appendix is not completed.
 Some time after I had the pleasure of seeing you Knieskern [Peter D. Knieskern]
 sent me some 1/2 doz. things in a letter, to name for him, &
 amongst them was a small spec'n. [specimen] of the plant which Gray
 gathered years ago, in Jefferson Co., & called, on Hooker's
 authority Juncus stygius. I remember Gray's specimens,
 & Knieskern's (from the same locality) looks just like them.
 Now I have, at present, only a single spec'n. [specimen] of real J. stygius
 from Martius [Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius] (ex Herb. Gray) [from Gray's herbarium] which, tho' very young, seems to be
 a branched plant, & otherwise distinct. Upon reference to
 my only authority, Kunth [Karl Sigismund Kunth] 3 p. 359, I find that J. stygius is only
 credited to Europe, but with a [B. (Laharpe Junc.)?] found in Newfoundland
        