
          Recd. [Received Decr. [December] 31st
Ansd. [Answered] March 30th

Philadelphia Decr. [December] 26. 1836

Professor Torrey

Dear Sir,

I hope you will excuse my
want of punctuality as a correspondent, and
[crossed out: believe] [added: construe] my silence into no want of respect
I am indeed highly gratified after a long absence 
still to find that old friends have
still kept me in remembrance. For some
time past I have been engaged in filling
up a cabinet with the shells I have collected, 
now nearly finished, and I shall without 
much delay turn again to my herbarium
i.e. go [crossed out: out] [added: on] and [?] every thing
as far as my present knowledge extends,
making up as soon as may be a large
collection of named duplicates for Dr. Boot [Boott]
of London, &c. As to the Cyperaceae, I
will give them all up to you as soon as
I can conveniently lay hands on them, and
adopt your names with great pleasure

        