From Ellen Hutchins to Dawson Turner   27 Nov 1809

Two specimens (one was stitched) to the top of the page

No 55

No 56

Your letters My dear Sir at all times, give me very great pleasure, at the site of your last I was quite agonised and eagerly to open the seal. I had given up the parcel as lost & feel highly pleased that has reached you & that you liked the drawings. You must not cease to ask for such plants as I can save for you because I send drawings. I shall send both with the greatest pleasure until you are well acquainted with everything our rocks and shores produce. I am sorry the drawing of F clavellosus does not exactly accord with your idea of the plant. When Spring presents fine fresh specimens of the plant in its varying appearances, I shall again attempt a representation for you. I can do every variety until you are pleased, for I must please you in this plant. The drawing I sent is very like one appearance, so like that, a poor little country girl, who I employ to bring one of my boxes, and assist me on the rocks, saw it, and put her fingers to the paper to try if she could not take up the plant. The drawing of dasyphyllus exactly represents the colour & growth of the plant as we have it. I have specimens larger than the drawing. I would not draw from an unusually large plant. Here it is very fine coloured bright red with orange shades & a little green. When in decay it dries purple-ish. Mr Dillwyn observed the fine size of my specimens. I never saw the porated appearance in more than one specimen & then it was very faint. F Wigghii does seem very puzzling yet I think I could wish for the existence of a few more such puzzling varieties. Is not the texture of the stem less to be regarded than the fruit which from your figure seems exactly similar to those of some. There is some thing in its appearance to the naked eye that seems more to approach the nature & habit of those plants than any others I have seen. How like is the slight curl of its terminating ramuli to those of F capillaris, which of our plants seems its nearest relation. I must examine it very carefully next year as I have now a better microscope than the one I have hitherto made use of. Do you wish for more specimens I got several last Autumn. I have just heard from Dublin that a parcel I sent & which you ought to have had long since, had not been sent as soon as I expected. It contained drawings of various Rivulariae which I hope you will like though the magnified parts are not what I could wish, nor was I able to see so as to understand the fruit at all. The natural sizes are I believe good & next season I intend to pay great attention to these plants & send you better magnified drawings done with a better microscope. Since I have got it I have done nothing but draw and examine Confervae. I have five new ones, at least they are not described in Dillwyn whose conclusion I have just got. Of these you shall soon have sketches. I have specimens of C mirabilis much finer than you have yet had from me. I find that C muralis, scopulorum which by the way is sadly figured, & myochrous belong to the same curious family. I have them all. I think they all have the double connection at the sides & ends of the filaments. I have distorta connected lengthways. I have a very delicate new one of this family — Rivularia angulosa grows here I have just found it.

I have examined as attentively as I was able your bits of F reniformis. I rather think number 12 distinct from it. I cannot feel certain much as I wish it on account of your desire of naming it after your friend. I have sent you in this last parcel the very best specimen I found. I hope you will be able to make it distinct. It is certainly very unlike what you have sent me. What makes me uncertain is your figure of the old specimen in fruit. I think if it belongs to that with the small leaves mine can hardly be distinct though of larger size. I found a specimen with fruit, not unlike your figure, but larger. The parcel which contains mosses & the drawings you will I hope receive about the same time as the letter I wrote with it. It being delayed accounts for your not having had answer to your letters which were too kind & valuable to be neglected. The parcel of mosses you sent me I received long since & the Lichens are now in Cork from whence I shall very soon have them.

Mr Mackay writes me that the little Spergula I sent you is the same S saginoides which was first found in Britain by his brother on Ben Nevis. He has sent me one of his brother’s specimens to compare with my plants. I think them the same. Do you wish for more of it? I enclose morsels of three of my new Confervae. No 55 is a beautiful little branched one full of capsules. It grew on F loreus, & 56 in a mountain river. Its pellucid colourless filaments terminate in most beautiful bean shaped capsules unlike any thing I have seen & very curious I think. I am quite delighted to hear that Mr Hooker will continue his journal and let his friends have it. You were very good to think of me. I shall you may be sure feel highly pleased to have a copy. I wish you could find time for your own Scottish journal. It would be quite delightful for your friends. Any thing intended for one’s friends must I think be much more interesting than if it were intended for the public.

I have lately found plenty of Hypnum piliferum do you want to have some? I think I sent you specimens of Jungermannia No 16 with fruit. It is very difficult to get it in that state. I watched it every day for a fortnight until I found it in an inflated state. The flowers are very minute. You have minutissima very fine in the parcel. I ought to be ashamed of the length of this letter.

I have lately had the pleasure of a letter from Mr Dillwyn. He said Mr Woods had taken a long ramble & lived among the poor mountaineers on potatoes & some milk. He expected him at Swansea on his way home. He spoke as if he had not found many rare plants. Mr Leach seemed very zealous & active pray tell him if you see him again that I have taken his advice & got “Montague on British Shells” & that I believe I have a new Patella [limpet]. I have now many more species than when he was here. I am gathering for you but I will not send you any for some time as I am only just beginning to learn & should have more & better to send by delaying for a little time. Believe me my dear Sir your ever obliged EH November 27^th 1809