No summary available.
No summary available.
Thanks Smith for letter and present. Sending a box of insects to [Thomas] Marsham, with duplicates for Smith. Saw [Thomas] Woodward's herbarium and fossil collection and discussed establishment of a local natural history society. Rev Charles Davy [(d 1836)] of Caius College, Cambridge, proposed encouraging study of natural history on national level by having the plan adopted in every county. Asks if [James] Sowerby safely received the 'Hirudines' ['Hirudo'].
Discusses his 'Hirudo' paper for "Linnean Transactions": has a third species of 'Hirudo' which is not like 'Hirudo stagnalis', asks Smith to correct his paper if necessary. Would like to see figures quoted by Linnaeus in the "Systema" as "Bergm. Act. Stock. 1756". Has named his three species 'Hirudo alba', 'Hirudo nigra', and 'Hirudo crenata'.
Sends his 'Hirudo' paper for publication in "Linnean Transactions". His 'Hirudo nigra' same as the 'Hirudo complanata' in [George] Shaw's 'Hirudo viridis' paper, believes this 'H. complanata' is not the same as Linnaeus' and asks Smith to show Shaw the paper for his judgement. States that his three species are "not good 'Hirudines', if we [...] stick to the Linnaean definitions".
[Nicholas] Gwyn informed him of Smith's introduction to the King and Queen [George III (1738-1820) and Charlotte (1744-1818)], hopes it proves useful. Is collecting insects not described by Linnaeus to send to Smith. Asks if [James] Sowerby's drawing of the leeches included 'Hirudo nigra'. Requests copies of Smith's "Spicilegium" for himself, and a copy of this and Sir William Jones' "Tract on the legal method of suppressing riots" for Gwyn.
Sends specimens of 'Hirudo nigra', observes their different colour from some collected a few months ago. Anxious that his relative lack of knowledge could compromise his paper. Also sends a species of 'Cicada' that swims on its back, like 'Notonecta', would like to write his next paper for "Linnean Transactions" on it if [Thomas] Marsham has not already seen it before receiving it from Kirby.
Thanks for Smith's assistance with 'Hirudines' paper, including [George] Shaw's observations, queries Shaw's suggestion that his [Kirby's] 'Hirudo crenata' is the juvenile 'Hirudo geometra' of Linnaeus. Planning to compare his living species with Gmelin's descriptions. His work limited by lack of natural history books.
Sending specimens: the 'Agaricus' he promised, agrees it is probably 'Agaricus quercinus' although does not agree well with description of [Jacob Christian ?] Schaeffer in Relham; 'Clavaria' which may be 'Clavaria pistillaris' or 'Clavaria ophioglossoides'; a posible 'Lichen globosus'; a 'Peziza'; and 'Epilobium ramosum' with an epiphyllous 'Lycoperdon' growing on it. Asks for advice on how to stuff birds, for two of his pupils interested in ornithology.