Madden has dispatched to Hooker by steamer, care of Messrs Smith & Elder, Booksellers, 65 Cornhill, a parcel of plants gathered last March and April at Aden and in the desert between Suez and Cairo, with one or two items from Point de Galle and Malta. There are 58 specimens in total. The plants are numbered and named to the best of his ability. They were named without any books, so he had to trust to intuition and a couple of hour's study of Forskal's [Forsskål] work, which he saw lately in Dublin. He would be much obliged for the proper names if Hooker has the opportunity to look at them. He regrets that what he sends is so few and so small, but he had little time or means of preserving things. Madden sees that Dr [Joseph] Hooker lost most of what he got at Aden and Egypt, so he is not without hope that these few specimens may be of some value. From what he saw between Suez and Cairo he has no doubt that, in April, a considerable collection might be made by anyone travelling leisurely, say in three days rather than one across this area. Number 15 is, he thinks, the plant labelled 'Justicia (Andrographis) paniculata' in the great conservatory at RBG Kew. Madden is very obliged for the two pamphlets containing extracts of Dr Hooker's letters. They have only two faults: that they are too short and that some natural errors have crept into the printing of sundry oriental names. In spite of the warm weather Madden has lately been much harassed by a severe cough, which has prevented him getting out on an intended journey to Connemara and Ulster. He hopes in a few days to be well enough to start. A notice from Liverpool now above a week old states that his baggage has not yet appeared. When it does and he has time and health to arrange his plants, he promises a selection in quality and quantity more worthy of Hooker's acceptance. Pages 1 and 4 of 7.