Letter dated June 9,1881 from W.R. Gerard to requesting access the proofs of unpublished plates by Rafinesque-- Letter dated July 1, 1881 from T. Egleston to "Prof. [Sereno] Watson" regarding the request of the loan of the volume-- "Notes accompanying the tracings ... Rafinesque plates..., Jan. 18, 1882... A.W."

"The plates are bound up in a volume of 'Botanical notes' marked Vol. C, and are on shelf D, in case no. 36. On the margin of the first plate is written: 'The following are the proofs of plates lost in my shipwreck of 1815.' On the back of the plate is written: 'Collection of 19 plates and 46 figures of new genera and species of plants from N. America, determined by C.S. Rafinesque in 1802-4. Published in 1807, 1808, and 1814. These plates were never published -- only proofs of plates lost in 1815, thus they are a unique collection...."