
          he had discovered in this country, that I might be aided in 
my search for and examination of them. Instead, however, of this
his return package contained a miserable parcel of things, much
of them as familiar to me as a "thrice told tale", together with some 
faded fragments of exotic affairs, rendered imposing and venerable
by being labelled from "Etna", Egypt", "Palestine" &c. &c. He pronounces
our common Dodecatheon a new species!, and does me the 
honor of [crossed out: proposing] [added: offering] me an apotheosis among these twelve gods, by dedicating
this species to me, which added to his twelve new species of 
that Genus will make the full bakers dozen! This blows up all
my calculations, for I had set it down as one of my discoveries
that you had gone too far in making two species of D. [Dodecatheon] meadia & integrifol. [integrifolium].

Can we not manage to silence this endless discoverer 
of new things, by raising among the botanical corps of the country
an annuity for life? This if not a "divitial scheme" might 
at least afford him a decent competence, and prevent him from being
under the necessity of gulling, or attempting to pull the public with pulmels
fire proofs & pearl hatching, together will new genera & species [added: without number] in all the 
departments of nature. If I could lend a helping hand to effect this,
and toward suppressing all his published nonsense I should be sure
of having render'd [rendered] a greater service to Science than I shall ever do in
and other way.

Can you let me see specimens of the Am. Vesicarae? I have found 
one single specimen of something which must belong to this genus, but does 
not suit the description of either of the three given by Hooker. I find 
great difficulty in getting his Amer. Flor. [Flora boreali-americana] or Bot. Jour. [Journal of Botany] even a long time after 
they are published.

Very respectfully, I am dear Sir,
yours &c. 
C.W. Short
        