Thomas Purton, Alcester, [Warwickshire], to Sir James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk]

Hopes Smith's health is recovered, he and many others were disappointed he could not come to the last [Linnean Society][ anniversary meeting. He has been supervising [William] Baxter's [(1787-1871)], curator of the Botanic Garden, Oxford, "fasciculus of dried plants", about to be published. He has procured many fungi specimens from Mr Gulliver of Banbury, of which he is sending a parcel. Compliments [Robert Kaye] Greville's work ["Scottish cryptogamic flora" (1823-1828)], and thinks the new genera 'Erineum', 'Acidium', 'Jaccinia', and 'Uredo' are well defined, but others including 'Xyloma' and 'Sclerotium' are "deficient in character". Understands Smith is still sceptical regarding the Barberry bush being the cause of injury to wheat growing near it; has suggested to Greville it may be caused by "some peculiar modification of electricity" as the grain is always found shrivelled, as if scorched. Offers to send Smith further fungi specimens, including the "rarest", 'Batarrea phalloides'