From:
John Smeaton
To:
William Wales
Date:
19 November 1788
Source of text:
L&P/9/104/1, Royal Society
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Royal Society
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Confirms his intention to become a FLS and sends specimens for their herbarium, including 'Carex strigosa' for Smith and Goodenough, and 'Fucus', including: specimen resembling [William] Hudson's 'F. obtusus' and 'Ulva filiformis'; a 'Conferva'; and others. Discussion of 'Lycoperdon epiphyllum' and 'Serrhula arvenii', latter observed as parasitic in bean fields. Requests specimens of Smith's Matlock plants, including 'Lichens'. Discusses figures of 'Thesium alpinum'.
Asks after botanical publications, including Bulliard's "Champignons", Leers' "Flora", and Bolton's "Fungi", errors with the latter. Sends parcel of seeds of 'Carex strigosa' for [William] Curtis. Attended [Thomas William] Coke's "magnificent fête" at Holkham on 5 November; the newspaper reports were not exaggerated. All anxious for news of the King [George III (1738-1820)], whose illness has been "universally deplored".
Has sent plants requested by Smith, list attached [third page]. Unable to send required number of specimens of 'Potentilla valderia' so has substituted them for 'Aldrovanda vesiculosa', otherwise there are 55 specimens per individual plant bar 20 specimens of 'Juncus spicatus'. Financial details. Will send flowers of 'Dryas octopetala' in the summer. Also sending a box of plants from [Carlo] Allioni and a box of rare plants from Bellardi which he would like Smith to compare along with the 'Arenariae' mentioned in last letter. Sends specimen and seeds of 'Panicum dactylon' and 'Poa gerardi' of "Flora Pedemontana" he believes may belong to the genus 'Festuca'. [Fulgenzio] Vitman's ["Summa plantarum"]. Asks Smith to send seeds for a friend. Wishes to be informed on Linnean Society news and would be happy to meet [Edmund] Davall.
Sending present of game to Smith and Sir Joseph Banks. Intends to deliver in person, after Christmas, the mosses collected in local woods. Thanks for Smith's letter and sketch of "beautiful" 'Fuschia' at Kew, and for admittance as Associate of the Linnean Society. Received letter from Banks in response to the Snowdon mosses he sent. Intends to go to the Lake District or Switzerland next summer. Requests cutting of 'Thymus cephalotos' and seeds of 'Digitalis sceptrum'.
Sends two medical dissertations.
Thanks for the tracings from [Johan Christian] Fabricius' 1783 memoir on the hearing of insects; notes that Fabricus does not seem to have looked into the internal structure of the hearing organs of crayfish. Notes a dissertation by Mr Minasi titled "Dissertazione dei Timpanetti dell'udito scoperti nel Granchio Paguro" (1775) that may predate Fabricius' work. [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli's successor at University of Pavia is Brusatti, previously Professor of Chemistry at the Theresian College in Vienna.
Has enquired with Dr [Richard] Beadon, master of Jesus College, Cambridge, about the possibility of Cambridge University Press printing Smith's new edition of "Philosophia Botanica", Smith is to write to Beadon with further details of the work. Slight concern that the Press may object to printing Smith's name and degree on the title page in case it gives the impression of sanctioning Smith's [Leiden] degree. Hinted that a "neat edition" of all Linneaus' works would be welcomed at the Press.
Asks for news.