
          New York, 15 June / 49


 My dear good friend, 


 Yrs. [Yours] of the 28 ult'o [ultimo] is before me, & as
 I have nothing to scold about this time, I do not know
 but that I should have waited to see you, but that I am
 uncertain from the tenor of your letter whether your
 proposed visit to Phil'a [Philadelphia] will be anterior to your coming
 hither. What I want is this-- [Asa] Gray told me that
 Gambell [probably William Gambel] had some copies of [Thomas] Nuttall's California paper
 to "distribute amongst Botanists," & I want you to apply
 to him for one for me-- for I am a Botanist (& hence
 coming within the category required) altho' neither a Torrey
 nor a Gray. A Donkey is a quadruped, albeit not an Elephant. 
 Gray promised to write to Gambell for me, but doubtless he
 has been too busy, & has forgotten it. I should also like
 a copy of Nutt's [Nuttall's] Compositae [i.e. Descriptions of new species and genera of plants in the natural order of the Compositae] (in 4to. [quarto] published some 
 8 or 10 yrs. ago) if to be begged, or stolen at Phil'a.
 Observe, I wish to ask no favors of said Mr. Gambell,
 & am only supposing that it is as Gray had heard, in
 which case, I know old Nuttall wd. [would] have given me
 a copy himself. I do hope you will give me the
 names of Spalding's Eriogona [Eriogonum]-- as I remembered them all
 with a view to your information. Also the Scrophs. [Scrophularia]
 which I remembered, when you work at them. I have
 heard nothing from the Grays since I wrote you last,
 but had a short letter from friend [Francis] Boott, a week since,
        