From James Mackay to Ellen Hutchins   26 Mar 1807

I will attend to what you say of not wishing to have your name mentioned in print – I hope I have not erred in mentioning it to Mr Turner. I should think it were a pity that two persons who have paid so much attention to the same branch of botany should not know one another's names!

I believe I mentioned in my last letter that he was about to send me for you, specimens of rare British sea plants. I wrote him word I was sure they would be acceptable – I expect them here about the middle or latter end of next month – I will soon have his opinion of some of your rare species which I have sent him. Your Fucus No 6 is certainly Fucus edulis of Turner’s Synopsis and which was considered by some authors as only a variety of Fucus palmatus, although I think it very different from it in many respects, as you also justly observe it to be.

I shall mention to Mr Turner, what you say of Fucus membranacens, perhaps he may not have seen it in a recent state.

I understand Mr Taylor will be going to your part of the country next month when I will send you some plants, or may perhaps send them before he comes.

I have found since publishing my list that the plant I took for Turritis glabra is not that plant but Turritis alpina, new to Britain. It will soon appear in English Botany together with my new British Arenaria. So that instead of a Turritis glabra H Br. you can mark in the list Turritis alpina Linnaeus Systema Vegetabilium page 600. It is a biennial plant. I enclose you a few seeds of it which you can immediately in your garden on a light soil. It grows on a sandy common near the sea side in Connemara perhaps you may find it on your coast next summer.

I remain

Madam

Yours respectfully

J T Mackay