From Ellen Hutchins to Dawson Turner   9 Apr 1811

My dear Sir

It gave me great pleasure to get a letter from you at this time, for though it does not inform me that you are all well I conclude from your manner of writing that you are as I wish you to be. Thanks for the mosses. Hypnum ochraceum [Hygrohypnum ochraceum] is beautiful & quite unlike anything I have found here, the variety of H. fluitans [Warnistorfia fluitans] is like one that grows here. By the way Sir T. Gage has found plenty of H. fluitans in fruit at Killarney. The fruit of my new Jungermannia is very rare. I enclose you my best specimen, I sent it before in a letter I think. I have not lately found anything new or rare in this genus. If you want more of any kinds that you know me to have, pray tell me. J. minutissima grows here very plentifully & bears ripe capsules in October. J. Byssacea [Cephaloziella divaricata] is in perfection at the same time. I think J. quinquedentata produces young plants by means of buds that fall off & throw out roots, I have not been able to find capsules. May I trouble you to request Mr. Hooker’s acceptance of my thanks for his polite attention in sending me a copy of his journal. I hope I know how to value it as it deserves. Though I feel much obliged to him I feel also sorry to be so constantly troublesome. Let me thank you for Vaucher which l should not have plagued you to send from such a distance had l known how to get it or where it was to be found. If you knew how pleased l am when l find anything worth sending you, you would think that pleasure a full reward for any trouble, & as to drawing, I delight in the amusement it affords when I can find time to indulge in it, so that you have little reason to thank me for all that l can do. You have I hope before this time received a box of Lichens & a few other things that Mr. Mackay forwarded from Dublin at the time I wrote to you respecting them. If you find any delay perhaps it would be right to get some person to call at the office in London but I hope they have been sent forward & that you have had them some time. I am quite delighted to hear that Mr. Hooker will soon commence the publication of his Jungermanniae & that he will give plates, it will be a beautiful thing executed with his taste & accuracy. I have twenty times with pleasure looked at the engraving of J. pusilla [Fossombronia pusilla] & shall ever admire its correctness. I will try to get you specimens on glass next autumn of the fruit of Fucus flagelliformis. You may depend on the accuracy of the sketch I sent you & I am sure I shall be able to get you plenty of it in such a state as to satisfy you that it belongs to the Rivulariae. Its resemblance in habit to other species of this family is very striking, & would lead one to expect some such formation as it really has.

If I can find the flowers of Utricularia media they shall be sent to Mr.Sowerby as you direct but I fear they cannot be had here. I sent you curious specimens of this plant in the parcel. I enclose two beautiful species of Tremella that grow in mountain rivulets, do you wish for more of either?

Pinguicula grandiflora will soon be a rich ornament to our marshes. I observed its leaves yesterday -

I think I have found Urceolaria fimbriata [? Aspicilia caesiocinerea] but have not gathered specimens as I had no hammer with me yesterday when I saw it for the first time here.

Believe me your ever faithful friend

E. Hutchins

Ballylickey

April 9^th 1811