
          I have somewhere an old manuscript in the Smilacea but if I
 rightly remember the want of proper Books of reference left me in such
 uncertainty about the authenticity of species that the attempt to 
 make any thing out of them was abandoned & up to this time
 I know with tolerable certainty only three of Ell's shrubby species viz Sm
 lanceolata laurifolia & pumila - They are vines of frequent occurrence
 throughout this region.


 I should be glad to assist [crossed out:Mr.] Dr Kneiskein [?] if you conclude
 to send him to Florida & will give him such such directions as
 a residence of twelve years will enable me to suggest - Mr
 Rugel ransacked the country pretty thoroughly but I suppose he
 did not find every thing - As for myself I do not expect to do any
 thing more My hands are full of pills   But I can retire from the
 field with the less regret from the conviction of having discharged 
 my duties zealously & faithfully while I remained in the service
 I can still do something in the way of exchange having quite a stock
 of duplicates remaining - I am about sending to Profr Gray a few ["few" covered by blot]
 sets but he will ["he will" covered by blot] look in vain for some of the rarer Kinds - You
 in your Herb. the Bletia verucunda [verecunda] of which I found many years ago [insert:1836 in Torrey's hand] two
 specimens & I have never seen it since*  The Stillingia aquatica  is very
 abundant near this city growing in ponds. It is quite distinct - Last July near
 St. Joseph I found what I take to be a Scillawhich I will send in this & a
 Cuphea with ternate-verticillate leaves - [insert:"Nolina n. sp" in Torrey's hand] - I saw Dr. Blodgett at Key West four 
 years ago & he shewed me some of his plants & I did not find but one
 Christian [?] species among them and that was the Capsella  They were all 
 Hebrew to me  He seems to be a most unassuming excellent man but 
 his health was quite delicate - I have thus my dear Sir
 spun out a long string of chat & have only to thank you
 again most kindly for your friendly letter & remain


 Very truly Yours
 A. W. Chapman


 On the left side of the page added, in a curlicue:
 What is that little thing in the paper which
 floats on the water like a Lemna?
 And this Polygala cant be P cruciata?
 in J. Torrey's hand, below: [Azolla caroliniana]


 below the signature, in Torrey's hand:
 * I have it also from Dr. Leavenworth, collected 
 in [illeg] Florida J. T.

        