
          to ascertain the existence of the commoner
as well as rarer plants. Or copy for your
acceptance accompanies this letter.

I have had severe sickness in my family
for 3 months this winter & spring which has
interfered so much with my pursuits that
I have little to say as to my doings
lately, always excepting my periodical
work which proceeds regularly. Passing
over source months as almost a blank
I am again active and have commenced
with Hooker a laborious investigation of
Mosses. We have just completed a Monograph
of the Genus Orthotrichum to which
we reduce Schlotheimia and Macromitrium
as we have species intermediate. [We?]
have added from our private collections
about 22 new species the whole number being
about 58. Our article will appear in the first
number of Brewster new Edinburgh Journal of
Science with plates of all the new species, drawing
by me. We are now busy with Tartula in
the same way and to be published in the
same journal. You will have doubtless
heard that Brewster & Jameson no longer proceed 
together their term of agreement is finished
and Jameson put in a claim for half the
profits if he continued, though he only
furnished 3 1/2 shurbs in each no. this was refused

        