To Adam Sedgwick 13 December 1839

My dear Sedgwick

I mean to say - that you have the letter press of No. 4 of Sternberg but not the plates. Upon inspection I find the plates have been removed as there is space enough for them at the end, & the cover is coated with glue where they have been fixed. Perhaps you may recollect having taken them out for some purpose of other, or to get them rectified. They begin the small plate 40 & I trace references as far as plate 59 besides some lettered as A to E (I see that in writing before I had thought that C. Stood for 100). In your Brongniart also there appears to be no plate 63 thou' it is referred to in the text & should contain figures of Odontopterides. You have also bound this work up too hastily since some of the plates referred to have only just made their appearance in the 2 first Nos. of Vol. 2d. I suppose No. 3 is not out. I am sorry he publishes the plates so much apart from the text. It renders the latter comparatively useless for a long time after it is out. You don't tell whether you ever heard of any shells like Planorbies in the Yorkshire Coal Field. You may send everthing you like in the way of fossil plants - as I am steadily entered on the subject & the more I get the better I shall understand them. I should like to run my eye over your slices also. I have Witham's book. I have heard nothing from Hutton - to whom I wrote about 3 weeks ago telling him to send me what he liked. Bowman has offered to send a few novelties for inspection only but will send me some others also. By the time you come I shall have have got thro' all I have on hand. I can now identify many - but some are too puzzling without having seen more specimens. Have you Curtis? Have you Schlotheim? As you call me Daf[?] for not letting you know how Mrs H & the young ones get on - I shall not risk the reappellation of such a name - but tell you that the former is much improved in health & can now get about better than she has been able to do for the last 2 or 3 years. The young ones are all fat & plump & seem to enjoy their country pursuits very much - but you must really come & see them & I suspect you will hardly recognise some them from their improved looks. Remember me to Ansted & tell him not to forget my Village collections.

Yours ever and sincerely

J. S. Henslow