Pleasure at Smith's visit; his work on plants of Provence; the Linnaean collections; 'Daphne alpina'; observations on Pliny; works of Linnaeus; copies of Linnaean letters.

Copy of letter from Linnaeus to Gérard, dated 22 June 1756, in Smith's hand [8 pp]:

Thanks for Gérard's letter of 30 November 1755, parcel of 100 dried plants, and seeds. Struggling to progress with his work on account of corrections to be made. Impressed by Gérard's progress and abilities; has learnt more from Gérard's plant collections than from many books. Numbered observations on plants sent by Gérard. Asks Gérard to investigate 'Allium' of [Pierre] Magnol's "Botanicum Monspeliense". Recent publications and dissertations, including his own. Catalogue of parcel of plants Gérard sent Linnaeus.

Copy of letter from Linnaeus to Gérard, dated 24 October 1756 [5 pp]:

Responds to queries in Gerard's letter of 15 August [1756], including: state of Cliffortian garden; Royen's departure from Leyden botanic garden; received floras from Heintzelman, Gerberius, and Messerschmidt; Gmelin produced two volume "Flora Siberica" but died last year; [John] Sibthorp will not produce biographies of Sherard and Dillenius; has not seen Gesner's "Trevisum" works; details of pupils who are travelling overseas. List of numbered plants.

Corrections and comments on Smith's usage of Latin in a manuscript sent for review [possibly Smith's translation of "Flora Lapponica"]. Asks Smith to confirm what he wrote of 'Lichen gypsaeus' and briefly discusses Linnaeus' terminology. In reference to 'Lichen tiliaceus' quotes a Latin remark about [Georg Franz] Hoffmann. Terminology applied in description of 'Lichen cucullatus'. Long discussion of usage and eytymology of "scutella"; "scutellum" incorrectly used by Linnaeus in "Philosophia Botanica", whereas the younger Linnaeus used "scutella"; wishes the elder Linnaeus had been more of a scholar.

Met [Jonas Carl] Dryander on way to Kew where two species of 'Aponogeton' are in flower, the 'Fudisia' [?] with "red superb flowers". Note on reverse of letter asks Smith to send the specimen of 'Cistus guttatus'.