
          Wms. Coll. May 8th 1820.

Dear Sir,

You letter of Ap. 10th came in due time, but
the plants were somewhat delayed. I have recd. them & the minerals,
& return you my thanks. For the pamphlets too I am much obliged
to you. I have looked at them some - as to the algae, I suspect
I shall know little. Your marine ones I shall be glad of. In your
letter you did not speak of your want of minerals, & I did not
learn of it till the plants came. Since that I have had no time
or opportunity to send any. Indeed I sent so many to N. York last
fall that I am rather bare, as I have made no excursions for
those you asked. Other friends too draw upon me. You may how
ever expect some next week, & find them at the Steam boat of
fice on Thursday. I have an opportunity to send a box, & I
design to [use?] it - hope there will be no failure. A few
plants will go with it. I have a small class, who are looking
up the plants, as usual. I directed Emmons to you, &
hope you could trade with him by exchange, to some 
good purpose for yourself. I have not heard from him since,
but expect him soon here, when I shall know. You may
not have become acquainted with him - but much plain
sense & [?] is concealed under his [?].

A violet I sent you last year you said was V. villosa
Nutt. It is [stemless?]. If I understand your letter, you think another
with a stem is like it. You said too V. cucullata is now
villosa, if I recollect. We find that villosa in plenty, & it a
grees with V. sororia, except that the lower petal is not bearded.
Sometimes all the petals are beardless, sometimes none but the
lower one. Another looks like V. cucullata, the two side pet
als bearded, & all white below, but one [petiole?] much villose, &
the others little or none. I confess they seem to run into each
other curiously. If you can give me any help, I should be
glad. But my specimens are not dry enough to send.

Now for other things - I hope Col. Gibbs will not forget
I want minerals - but I am so far off, I suspect he will.
Silliman asks if that yellowish whitish mineral from Middle
field is not indurated talc? I think not yet - tho' I have
hardly seen it of late. By the way, don't you laugh at a
[?] to appear in the next No. of Silliman's Journal in
the summer.

I wish much for Topaz rock, Zircon, etc.
Siderographite you did not send me. Do send me your
[?] Adularia. That red oxyd of Zinc, I should suspect to be
only ferriginous white oxyd of Zinc. The subject needs investi
gation. The circumstances are agst. [against] it.

        