From Ellen Hutchins to Dawson Turner   14 Sep 1809

At length my dear Sir, I have made this little parcel that I have often wish’d you to have. The Lichens it contains are not I suppose of any value & I rather send them to enable you to judge what this country is likely to produce than with any hope of their being useful. When I can learn to see my way I hope to do some thing more for you. The mosses I send are the same as those that were in the letter that never reached you. I now trouble you with the list of such mosses as I wish to have or borrow for drawing. I shall take good care not to injure your specimens. Do you want Dicranum rufescens I can give good specimens. You wish’d to know if I had met with Phascum alternifolium, I have not seen it nor have I found Bryum conoideum. A specimen from Mr Mackay misled me. His is your Dicranum viridissimum. Should you wish for more of any of the marine plants in this parcel pray let me know. I have more specimens of the greater part of them to spare.

I shall very soon copy the drawings of the Rivulariae that I have and send them to you. Should you desire to have drawings of any of the plants that you know to grow on this shore pray let me hear that I may have the pleasure of doing them for you.

I have plenty of Fucus aculeatus in the state I now send. Do you know the fruit? I have not been able to find any thing like fruit tho’ I have examined a great number of plants.

Has Mr Dillwyn returned to Wales? I long to know how he likes his Irish tour. I fear he felt disappointed in his expectations of finding new plants.

Believe me My dear Sir you very faithful & obliged

E Hutchins

Sept 14^th 1809

[many crossed out in a different ink, probably Turner as he selected specimens to send to Ellen.]

Phascum crispum, patens, curvisitum & muticum

Grimmia stricta, alpicola, nuda & Dicksonii

Pterogonium sciuroides

Trichostomum rigidulum, heterosticum, fasciculare & microcarpon

Tortula rigida, subulata, apiculata & ruralis

Dicranum Tamarindifolium, undulatum with fruit to draw it. I have it without fruit. calistomum, subulatum, Celsii, purpurascens

Polytrichum strictum & gracile

Neckera curtipendula

Bryum conoideum, androgynum, triquetrum, obtusifolium, aureum, Zieri, compactum, bimum, cuspidatum, roseum, & undulatum - I have plenty of the latter without fruit

Hypnum pulchellum, nigro-viride, medium, Teesdalii, riparian, protensum, adnatum, velutinum, intricatum, atro-virens, (I have without fruit) lutescens, piliferum, Thuringicum, aduncum, palustre, dubium, filicinum.

I have no doubt that H umbratum & flagellare are the same species. It varies some times so as to resemble H laetevirens in habit. I was quite sure I had found the latter until I saw the leaves magnified. Do you wish to have more of the many appearances of this species?