From Ellen Hutchins to James Mackay   6 Sep 1807

September 6^th 1807

Dear Sir

I have had the pleasure to receive your last letter. I am much obliged for the various things you have sent me, and for your intention of sending me plants. I am sure I shall be delighted with the ferns. They are so interesting. You have sent me three species of Phlox, inbulata, statonifina [?] and ovata. They have all blossomed and given me great pleasure. All the plants you sent me are growing finely.

I am not yet sure when my brother will go to town, but whenever he does go he will call on you. I shall have things to send by him.

Now to what I have done since you heard last from me. I have been longing to tell you of all the sea plants I have got, for beauty and rareness. I shall begin with Fucus Wigghii of which I have got in the same spot at different times 6 or 7 plants, and it seems here more plentiful than at Yarmouth. I cannot be mistaken as to my plant being the one described by Mr Turner as he had the goodness to send me a plate [engraved drawing] of it. I would enclose you a specimen but it is too precious to cut for enclosing, and I shall give you at least 2 in the next parcel. Of Fucus pendunculatus I have got one fragment of Fucus bifidus. Mr T sent me specimens of each. I hope to meet with more of them that I may be able to send you some. I have got for you beautiful specimens of Fucus confervifolius I have met with more of the little Fucus marked 21but without any appearance of fructification I have got some curious varieties of Fucus laceratus. The plant marked No 26 is I think an Ulva. I have fine specimens of it in fruit. No 5 is also I am sure an Ulva. I got one little plant of it yesterday the first I have met with this season. I think the seeds are separately scattered under the skin. I have no fear of not being able to get you fresh specimens as you wished but I much fear they will not reach you undecayed as it is a very tender plant. I have got Ulva verticillata a plant of whose beauty a dried specimen can give you but an imperfect representation (unless you have seen it in a recent state) tho it is very beautiful on paper.

I have an other Ulva a plant of great beauty too when fresh. I believe it a variety of Ulva rubens[?], but as I am a bad judge it may be perhaps a distinct species.

I have got Conferva equistifolia very fine and some other kinds that I cannot make out, one of them is I think one of the most beautiful and elegant little plants I have ever seen. It preserves its recent appearance even after being dried. If you wish to have the specimens I have at present preserved for you let me know and I shall send them.

I think your curiosity must be animated to impatience I judged of your feelings on plants by my own.

At Glengarriff I have been most unfortunate the weather was desperately bad and as soon as it became better I was obliged to return to meet an old friend who was to visit us. All I got there was a few roots of Hieracium Sabaudum and some specimens of Lichen[?] physadis[?] together with three wettings [??] a violent tooth ache and some other misfortunes. I enclose a little specimen of an Hieracium (I believe it is) that I found on rocks in the bed of a river. I got but few specimens for drying as the plants are all mostly past flowering. What I have I can send you. I have plenty of roots if you should want any. I enclose two Lichens, one found in small quantity on the bark[?] of an old Elm tree, the other with a central root found on a rock in a rivulet. It will recover its colour if put into water. [text missing]phea lutea[?] rare. It grows in a [text hidden by sealing wax] in the country. Do you wish for dried specimens of a curiously forked variety of Blechnum spicant, with the leaner[??] and fertile fronds all forked some twice or thrice.

I have got you a specimen of Conferva No 3 in fruit. I never saw it in that state till very lately. I have just met with a good deal of Sertularia operculata. I enclose one beautiful little species different from any you have sent. I have not yet met with many fruits [?] what are the most likely situations for finding them in? I hope I may meet with some worth sending you. I shall carefully attend to them, they are so curious so interesting. I am sure I shall be greatly amazed with them.

I am in daily and impatient expectation of the work you recommended that I may learn some thing of them. I sent for it long ago but have been delayed & disappointed in not getting it sooner. I cannot expect that I have anything more to add than that I remain your obliged servant etc

E Hutchins