From Ellen Hutchins to Dawson Turner   9 May 1809

My dear Sir

I have from day to day, deferred writing to you since I sent the last parcel which I hope you have had long since. I now find that what I have since gathered of those things that you wished for and a few that I had not before sent you are large enough for a parcel by post, and as I always feel impatient that you should have any rarity I meet with I now send them. You will find that I have met with an abundance of Confervae mirabilis & with No 43 much finer than when I drew it. It grows very plentifully in all our rivers. Of what I take for Ulva verticulata I send one specimen, an ill colour’d one. It is sometimes very bright red, but most of those I met with were somewhat injured by being exposed to the air. All the fine ones I have given away. Next August I hope to be able to get more for you. Its magnified appearance is extremely beautiful. I suppose it is a Rivularia but I don’t know the character of the genus but its structure is similar to that of R vermiculata. I feel greatly obliged for all you have mentioned concerning the Confervae and mosses. I think you will find No 8 which has you say been named C patiens only a variety of C stricta. It grows in deep water.— Do not you think the little Hypnum No 2 may be different from Serpens. It seems unlike in the shape & disposition of the shoots & leaves both recent & dry. The lid too differs somewhat & the leaves are serrated. I am much obliged to you for the mosses you wish to send me & when I write next I shall tell you what I want. They will be of great value to me as I wish to amuse myself with drawing all our mosses. I hope that you will not deprive yourself of any thing that may be a loss to you for they are of much greater value to you than to me. This consideration makes me always very ready to give & I felt quite pleased when you told me your friends had robb’d you of the things I sent you, as the gathering of a fresh supply will give still greater interest to a pursuit so highly delightful. I hope & indeed feel pretty certain that I shall during the course of the summer be able to collect every thing you wish for from this place. The list of our plants you shall have at the time you mention & I hope to add to those I am at present acquainted with. I am sure I shall have more Confervae & perhaps some mosses. I now write in a great hurry as I am going to the mountains for a few days to a place where I shall do nothing but walk & gather beauties. I fear you will say I have no mercy for you when I tell you that I am highly delighted to hear of the collections of Fuci you have got to continue Hist Fuc. I am almost tempted to wish you may always find materials to continue it & yet I long to see the end. I just now expect 4 more numbers. My friends say I bother them with asking when they are coming. You are very kind to wish to see me but at present there is I fear no possibility of any thing so agreeable as it would be to me to become acquainted with such a family as I imagine yours — I write in such a hurry I hardly know what I have scribbled for I am in the very agonies of going to the mountains. I hope to bring some things to send you —

Yous very faithfully

E Hutchins

May 9^th 1809

I have not read any thing of Campbell’s but Pleasures of Hope, the other poems you mention I can make my brother get me in Dublin without giving you the trouble of sending them from such a distance; it is so troublesome to get any thing to this out of the way cranny.

You need not send me Conferva corallina as I have lately got the No of Dillwyn’s in which it is figured & find my plant is corallina as I supposed. C atra is not very rare here. I have this Spring found plenty of C vivipara. The specimens you sent me have been of great use. Tell me of any thing you want as I intend to be very busy this season. Do you want Jungermannia minutissima? I can get great plenty of it on all our trees. I am longing to have Mr Hooker’s book out. If you have Conferva crispata to spare I should like to get a specimen. I have this Spring sought much for C atro-purpurea, but without success —