To William Hutton 24 February 1840

My dear Sir,

[Memoranda appears at top of the page]

Memoranda

Sphenopt. crenata plates 100 & 101 hardly agree suffy. the crenations in 101 not at all indicated on 100! I have a specimen of Sedgwick's wh. to me appears preferable to 101, & on same specimen, fragments wh. seem to connect it with Pecopteris serra pl.107! as tho' 101 might be the fertile & 107 the barren state of the same species. Sphenop. caudata seems to approach very nearly! I should much like to see authentic specimens of all three. The upper magnified view of the venation of N. arguta pl.105 I can't understand - it is utterly unlike any portion of the frond!

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I have been away for the last week & find your letter on my return. The above is the only memorandum I had made & which I send. I am very anxious to receive the specimens that I may form a better judgment than I am at present capable of doing, on several points. I will take care that you have all the single specimens back again. Lindley gave his fossils to the Adelaide gallery, and perhaps the missing specimen is among them. I think you cannot do better than state in the preface to the New Series whatever errors or inaccuracies may have occurred in the old - & so set such matters at rest. I have heard from Brongniart, who is very willing to cooperate. He tells me that he never received the latter Nos. of the Fossil Flora, from you though you were so kind as to send him all the previous ones - & he fears they may have miscarried. He also hints that he would be "charmé" to have a set of the plates, to arrange them systematically. As you have been so kind as to procure me a complete set, I can let him have some of those in the last volume which kindly gave me - about 30 I think. I will set to work with the new species the moment I get sight of them - & such as are to be figured shall then be forwarded as you may direct. You must remember that I am rather a fresh hand & shall want a little experience in this department before I can feel confident. I shall be obliged to you therefore for all hints & conjectures. It seems to me that we ought to adopt Brongniart's plan of drawing up specific characters - however unsatisfactory the data for so doing.

Believe me

very truly yrs

J. S. Henslow

P.S. Have you any opportunity of attending to my [page ripped - illeg.] about specimens of Coal &c for a little Village Lecture?