My dear Sir
You have I hope by this time received the drawings of Fucus aculeatus & some Confervae that I sent through Captain Mangin above a week ago. I have deferred answering your letters since I sent the parcel expecting to find something new this springtime. Nor have I been disappointed, for in dredging for shells & plants yesterday I met with a single specimen of a most curious little plant, composed of distinct short filaments enclosed within a colourless wrinkled skin. You shall have a drawing with the next things. Its nearest relative seems to be C foetida, which I can hardly think is a Conferva. I never could see anything like what Dillwyn's plate represents. You shall have a sketch of it as it appears to me. I can hardly believe that C paradoxa is not rather an Ulva. I have got a simple freshwater Conferva to send unlike anything I have yet seen, & I feel sure that I shall be able to make out in the spring and summer 5 or 6 more that are not in Dillwyn & which I have never yet drawn.
Your being pleased with the 9 Confervae I sent adds much to my interest in them. I cannot tell you how much I feel obliged by your offer to assist in completing such descriptions as you wish me to give, but as you would even if I should attempt to write any part of the descriptions, have all the trouble, & as I am sure I could not execute them well, I beg of you to do the whole, at any time you like. I am indeed very sensible of your kindness & of Dr Smith's politeness, but I should feel afraid to attempt describing anything. You know I am good for nothing but gathering up all that I can find for those who know how to observe them with scientific eyes. Mine alas are in every way very short sighted. During the course of next summer I shall attend with all possible diligence to the Rivulariae & expect to find more specimens than you have yet had from me. I have seen single specimens of two very large fine ones, if possible I must get more to draw & feature. The only freshwater plant I have ever seen that resembles the marine species in structure is C gelanitosa , & even of this I am not sure that the fruit does not somewhat differ. Rivularia angulosa is of a very different nature I believe. If my plant be the true angulosa, I think the filaments connected somewhat like C distorta, & they seem to me somewhat of the same nature, but that they terminate in a different manner. Riv endivifolia does not grow here. I should like to get it & if you have plenty to spare of any of the following Confervae I should also thank you for specimens at any convenient time, comoides, reticulata, glomerata, aegagropila, villosa, Borreri, urceolata, crispa, fracta, & dichotoma. I am very glad you find my Utricularia is media. If possible you shall have specimens in flower, barren ones you shall certainly get. —
About Fucus loreus I cannot please myself. The rocks are covered with young & the few remaining fragments of the old have all discharged their seeds. The end of the summer is I think the season when the plant is in perfection. The first I can get fit to draw shall be done for you. I have not yet heard about the office in Dublin for conveying parcels to & from England, though I wrote to my brother to make inquiries. When I write next you shall hear all about it.
To the lichens I shall pay particular attention & collect in large quantities for you. I have got L papillaria of Withering. It seems a very curious one, it is I dare say common with you. Parmelia tenuissima [Leptogium tenuissimum] grows here. I hope Mr Borrer will be soon able to give us an English book to consult. I hope you found the morsels of mosses I sent with the last drawings interesting. Is the morsel under the seal of this letter Phascum alternifolium? I can get plenty. In shells I advance, but slowly. I have got some of which I am either doubtful or cannot find descriptions in Montague. When we can hear how to send things by this office in Dublin I shall make up some for Miss Turner. I sometimes get presents of West India shells, would she like to have share? Tell me my dear Sir how I can do any thing for you or any of your family & believe me ever your obliged friend
Ballylickey 20th February 1810 E Hutchins
Please cite as “EHT045,” in Ɛpsilon: Ellen Hutchins Collection accessed on