Asa Gray correspondence files of the Gray Herbarium, 1838-1892 (inclusive). Correspondence with George Engelmann, 1840-1856. Botany Libraries, Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Mass.

New York Nov 4 1856

Dear Gray

Included you will find the check for $100 which I hope will be all right. Many thanks for this as well as all other favors extended to us during our long stay at Cambridge.

We got safely here on Saturday last, but it was 7 o'clock before we were installed in our hotel (Prescott house, just opposite the St Nicholas) so that I could not see any body that evening. Next morning I had a pleasant chat with Torrey; then we went to see something of the city and some friends. Yesterday half the day with Torrey and half about my business; engaged passage

[page 4] Acerates auriculata in Pl. Lindh. Wright etc which I labled so in your Herb. — The plant is very interesting because as already suggested by Nuttall the little tooth of the corona-lobes [drawing] is really a spur equal to Asclepias! —

Further: James collected on the upper Missouri my Wisconsin Acerates lanuginosa and Nuttall himself labeled the specimen so no doubt therefore that I was correct and that {Asclepias} vaseyi remains must be restored to Carey. I shall see more of it I hope in Philadelphia.

Now good bye — Mrs Gray I hope did not have to take arsenic! But tell her to take good care of herself in this wet weather, for relapses are frequent and are more obstinate than the first attack; you ought not keep the house too warm; the skin if kept too active is so much more liable

to be influenced by changes — My wife sends her love to her friends Yours truly G Englemann

in the Steamer Fulton for Havre on the 15th next Saturday week — so please send any thing you want me to take a long, before mext week Friday to Westermann's I shall mail at South Hampton any thing for Carey, Hooker etc you may wish to send.

I shall be all day to day at Torrey's and leave for Philadelphia tomorrow.

Letters from you may reach me at Prof Bairds of or Henry's in Washington about Monday or Tuesday.

Vegetation is not yet as far advanced or rather gone, as with you, and Dahlias are seen every where in bright bloom.— Weather bad, rainy, warm, very quite in the streets though Election Day Pople not as excited here apparently as with you.

Torrey has a fine collection of Cacti from the Boundary with many duplicates, you that you can be supplied with many other things you may not have or have respectfully — some however are better in your set.—

He has published in Pope's plants: Euphorbia albomarginata Torr & Gr. = stipulacea {Euphorbia} wrightii Torr & Gr. = scoparia {Euphorbia} dilatata Torr & Gr. of the same name with [me?] Please correct the two former names in yours and the two other sets (Hooker & DeCandolle's)

Nuttalls own Polyotus angustifolius has been collected by Pitcher, Fremont and others west of Arkansas is the same as my plant from Torrey and of course Decaisnes Acerates {angustifolia}, but very distinct from my

New York Nov 14th '56 {1856}

My dear Doctor

Got your lines at Westermanns, when I came from Washington which I left last evening; thanks for the letter to Delessert which will be so much more useful now, as I got half of my plates to engrave in Paris.

The Report is in print, and as the Fulton sails only Monday I may be able to read proof and return it to W. whence the revise will be sent to you.

Accidentally I found the manuscript of Bigelow in the Printing office, and found that great part of it is the most amiable laisser aller talk of our good Doctor; as my name is on the title page I have taken the liberty to scratch out whole pages of extracts of my letter, imperfect synopses sent to him long ago, for him,

[last page] neglect of this necessary rule (this of course private!) No Acerates paniculata or lanuginosa of Nuttalls nor {Euphorbia} peploides — but both in Hb Torr, as I have told you. Euphorbia ocellata is really a very peculiar and distinct species. — Sparganium I could not do much with in Philad. As it is a common plant there were hardly any specimans and those the same as ours; but of the Southern form as ours; were here, for Hale, Chapman Curtis etc — all similar much larger than the northern bush none in fruit

I must close here, but write perhaps again.

Could I get a letter from you yet? I sail Monday at 12

Our kindesst regards to Mrs Gray

Yours G. Englemann

privately but not to publish — but never the less I had not the time to read the whole through or alter correct it to my liking.

It will be sent to you, and I pity you — but can not help it — you will have to do the revising part and I give you the liberty to alter and cut down. —

I had a great mind to strike my name from the title page; If you could devise a title where my name becomes a little more obscure I would like it better; ... by Dr Bigelow, the characters if the new species by Dr E would please me better, would be true — but would not give rob him of the pleasure to see his name quoted in the species —

With Torrey I was two days and shall be to morrow a few hours. He has been very kind, and

What do you think I discovered by the aid of his patent boiling apparatus (for using a similar one he says he has a great mind to persecute me as infringing upon his patent) Now read: Sagittaria pusilla is the small form of {Sagittaria} natans and in Florida is a large form fluitans! —

{Sagittaria} from Pinckey — also in your Herbarium, but there wrongly named by me is the smallest form of {Sagittaria} falcata!

Alisum {Alyssum} subulata is good and probably identical with Alisum {Alyssum} geyeri!!!

Our good friend Durand was extremely kind and obliging — but both his and the Academy's Herbaria are by no means in a proper state; and I have taken upon me to enjoin upon him most seriously the necessity of keeping specimens from different collections and localities separate; I fear there is not a little confusion for the

On Board the US N Steamer Fulton off the Scilly islands Nov 29 1854

My dear Gray

Here we are on the coast of England and expect to reach Cowes tomorrow; my Euphorbiaceae are ready for you, but I am sorry to say, written in so illegible a hand that you will not be able to give it to the printer in that shape.

Any corrections or alterations which the new part of the Voyage of the Herald or my visit to Paris may suggest, I will send you from there.

Monday week we left N York at noon with fair wind and weather; the wind afterwards became high and sometimes quite boisterous but since Sunday we have had fine warm weather with light winds making good progress. Mrs E suffered a good deal the first week, I a very little and Georgie none at all — he

[last page] also ok, and to yourself — we have escaped winter so far — and the shawl has been used only for a few days.— but hope to meet that old friend soon.

Our love to Agassiz; and his amiable family. and all those in Cambridge who remember us.

Yours ever G. Englemann