From Francis K. Eagle   5 November 1849

My dear Sir,

The Mermaid Pits are in Bury & are in reality the source of the river Lark, the Water rising most copiously from the Chalk not far above the Coal yards. I am aware that they hold much Carbonate of Iron in Solution, as I have ascertained by boiling them with nitrate of Silver. The plant is sordida of E.Bot, a name which it scarcely deserves considering that its property is that of crystallization. It is also fugacissima of Dillwyn. I think you will find that its case is siliceous & not acted upon by a common acid, like the Carbonate of lime.

I send Bat. moniliforme let there may be no mistake between us it revives in Water which atum does not, & adheres so closely to paper as almost to identify itself with it, while atum ( at least in an advanced state) scarcely adheres at all. It has very important marks of distinction I find in the Algae. As to its being a swarm plant it possesses cilia so very fine & delicate but though visible, their structure is not to be discovered by the highest power of my Microscope. These cilia are not represented either by Dillwyn or E. Bot, though the magnified figures are in this respect very good

Yours truly |Fra K Eagle