Suffice it to say (as I am pressed for time) that I had made up my mind what I would do it for before I left home; that on looking over the collection, as to various parts of it, as far as time allowed, I found it less ample than I supposed, but with many difficulties owing to specimens in fruit only, or flower only. I think it no very awful job, if done in the way I propose, which is, not by monographs by people abroad, which the committee will not agree to, but by working up a part abroad in Hooker’s, or Bentham’s, or Garden of Plants herbarium. The chairman of the committee and Wilkes behaved very well, and told me they were very desirous I should take it up. On Friday evening Wilkes came in, before we went to the President’s; asked me to say what I would do. I told him at once what I would do (just what I had told J. before we left Cambridge), and Wilkes at once accepted my terms, as I supposed he would. My terms were based on the supposition that there is five years’ work in preparing for the press the collections left on hand, and in superintending the printing.... We must settle together the typographical form of the work, etc., when you come, and we will make the other writers conform to the plan we agree on, which perhaps you have already fixed. Now I want a careful and active curator. What young botanist can I get?... 27th Nov., 1848. Wright is up from Texas (with his mother at Wethersfield, Connecticut); he will soon be here as curator to me, taking Lesquereux’s[154] place, who has been with me a little, but now, as a consequence of his visit to Columbus, goes to aid Sullivant, with a provision that makes the truly worthy fellow perfectly happy. They will do up bryology at a great rate. Lesquereux says that the collection and library of Sullivant in muscology are “magnifique, superbe, the best he ever saw.” TO GEORGE ENGELMANN. January 24, 1849.