
          Recd Apr. 8th and 9th             West Chester, Penn. April 6. 1835


 Dear Sir,


            I wrote you about three weeks ago, by my
 son, who was going to join the U.S. ship Peacock at New York;
 and I presume he either delivered the letter, or put it in
 the city Post office.  The main object of that letter was to ask the
 favor of you to inform me where Dr. L.C. Beck resides -
 as I wish to have a little correspondence with him, if 
 he should be willing.  I now ask leave to trouble you
 with another request; and hope you can, without much
 inconvenience, satisfy both my desires in the same com-
 munication.  It is my wish to group the Grasses,
 of this county, according to their obvious natural affi-
 nities; and after examining all the plans of authors
 within my reach, I think the one which you have given,
 in Lindley's Introduction is the most satisfactory.  You men-
 tion that is is according to Agardh, in his [illegible] botanica.  
 I have not been able to find Agardh's work in Phi-
 adelphia, and therefore I am driven to the necessity of
 troubling you with a request to furnish me with the
 author's definition, on diagnosis of the respective sections
 or divisions of the [illegible]. I presume he has given
 a brief description of the characters which are common to
 all the genera of each section; & that is what I wish
 to see.  It is highly useful, in the investigation of plants, to
 have them grouped together under brief diagnoses which will
 designate each group unerringly if possible; and I find
 it difficult to satisfy myself in the respect with some
 of the sections of the grasses.  I do not quite like Lindley's
 grouping - which Dr. Beck has followed.  If Agardh has
 given a definition of the several sections, as presented by
 you in Lindley's introduction, you will greatly oblige me 
 by furnishing me with the same.  I he has not given a
 diagnosis of each section - could you favor me with you
 over views of the proper definition of each groupe? for

        