From Francis K. Eagle   19 October 1849

My dear Sir,

I send you a Conferva from the Mermaid Pits, which as I believe you know, is one of the clearest springs possible, as far at least as the eye is concerned. You will find the Deposit to be calcareous & so plentiful as to allow of its being collected bodily, as you will perceive. I send also some Philosena truncata? which I believe causes a deposit of some other quality. Its siliceous coating or case is remarkable & not touched by an ordinary acid. I send at the same time a specimen of But. atrum which I find here just now in great perfection. I believe there are several species: what could have induced Sir W. Hooker to treat it as a Var. of moniliforme I am at a loss to conjecture. I do not even believe that they belong to the same Genus. I enclose John Lindley Atriplex from the sea shore at Cove Hithe. If you would take the trouble of sowing them & see what they will produce, I shall feel obliged, as I think the genus is not well understood.

Yours very truly |Fra. K Eagle