WCP2893

[1]

Kew

30 Dec^r. 07

Dr Alf. R. Wallace F.R.S.

My dear Sir

As I did not begin work at the Kew Herbarium before Feby 1858 I had no concern in the distribution of Mr Spruce's¹ earlier collections, nor indeed after that date had I much of anything, to do with the incoporation or determination of the Sprucean specimens received for the Herbarium. My work in connection with the Spruce plants was in assisting the late Mr Bentham² in [illeg.] distributing the specimens in [2] sets for [illeg.].

All I remember [illeg.] Mr Spruce's plants specimens were most carefully selected, dried, & packed, extraordinarily so considering the difficulties of all kinds with which he had to [illeg.], &, what not of special value, they will be accompanied by beautfiully legible labels giving precisely the information as to locality, habitat, habit, [illeg.], &c. Ke required to [illeg.] the dried specimens. I may say the duties of a trained collector c^d. not have been better done.

[3] The collections were specially rich in [illeg.] species the [illeg.] of which must often have been of considerable difficulty.

Many of the more interesting plants were described by Mr Bentham at intervals in Hooker’s "Journal of Botany"³ & the "[illeg.] Journal of [illeg.]" and in the Linnaen Soc^ys Journal & Trans. — & by Mr Bentham & others in Martins' "[2 words illeg.]"

Sincerely yours | Daniel Oliver⁴ [signature]