
          Williams College Aug. 6th 1817

Dear Friend,

I received your package by Maj. A. Sloan.
Usually I have the dates of your letter by the postmark
but as this has neither date nor postmark, I guess at the
date. Tell no one but me, that my lonicera is a [?]
in a manner implying that it is not a lonicera; 
as [?] is but a section of [added: that] genus etc.
I wish you would get the opinion of your best botanit
respecting the species. I am deficient in books. 
I have nothing but Parson, Bigelow, Muhlenberg, Sprengel,
Smith, popular [?] given by Phelps, my translation
of about half of  Pursh, Elliot, and my manuscripts 
of Northern States Plants. Consequently I may easily 
err.

I enclose you the three dollars which appears
to be the initiaion fees required by your bylaws.
I can think of nothing more agreeable
to my views, than to be counted with such a club
as yours. I think it most probable that I
shall [crossed out: should] spend next year at Middlebury
College, Vermont - Perhaps not. Let me tell you 
what you will not believe. Ebeneezer Kellogg
A.M. Professor of Languages in WIlliams College,
and Chester Dewey A.M. Professor of
Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and
lecturer on Chemist in Williams College,
are the most persevering and zealous naturalists
in New England. Mr. Dewey has the 
best collection of rocks on the continent. He
has collected plants several years and sent them
abroad to be named. Ha and Mr. Kellogg have
directed their whole atention to Nat. Hist. all this
season. Now if you study the interest of your
society, do you get Mr. Kellogg elected corresponding
        