Collecting English observations of eclipse of 7 Sept. 1820 for H. J. Walbeck. Construction of object glasses.
Collecting English observations of eclipse of 7 Sept. 1820 for H. J. Walbeck. Construction of object glasses.
Sends set of William Herschel's duplicated papers. Curious results 'examining the rings,' but bad weather has hampered experiments. Correction of spherical aberration. JH is using J. d'Alembert's Opuscules. Image of Alpha Lyrae.
Provides detailed travel suggestions for WW's planned trip to the continent. Asks WW to deliver letters to various European scientists.
Praises Lady Smith for developing new method for copying paper portraits, discusses further. Remembers Corrêa [de Serra] well and often listened to him at Sir Joseph Banks'. A York bookseller will get him Smith's "Grammar of Botany" and ["A selection of the correspondence of Linnaeus..."] when published.
Mild winter: does not remember a milder one, thermometer has not been lower than 31°F and fears vegetation will "suffer from being too far forward"; peach buds are swelling and cucumbers are in rough leaf. Snow at Gordon Castle in last few days, received two plants of 'Menziesia caerulea' procured from Inverness, one placed in bog earth with 'Rhodendra' and other potted and both look well so far. Duke of Gordon also sent quill feathers of the supposed female woodcock, enclosed [not extant]; has written to Ireland for further opinion.
Had rent day yesterday and remitted 10 per cent on land, "such are the bad times for farmers that I rather think I did too little, however they were well pleased". Requests recommendation for more recent "Genera plantarum" than Linnaei 1767. Encloses his pamphlet [extant] titled "On the Winchester Bushel", which "has nearly given the finishing stroke to our Country bushel".
List of manuscripts and letters to be translated by Gurney.
Sends her translations of [Anders] Sparrman's [(1748-1820)] letters, which are written in a "very puzzling hand". Plans to visit Smith soon, and hopes she will be able to finish "little book" of Linnaeus' lent by Smith.
Sends translation of [Peter Hinrich] Tesdorpf's [(1712-1778), German merchant] letter [to Linnaeus]. Asks if Smith cares about Linnaeus' "little book" being translated before she goes to Northrepps, [Norfolk], on Wednesday.
Apologises for delay in replying to Lady Smith's note, which she had hoped to do at same time as returning [Carl Peter] Thunberg's letters to Sir James [Edward Smith], but they are taking longer than anticipated. Will call at Surrey Street soon.
Sending rough translations of [Clas] Alströmer's [(1736-1794), Swedish industrialist] letters [to Linnaeus]. Returning home soon, hopes to call on Lady [Pleasance] Smith then.
Sends her translations of Count [Carl Gustaf] Tessin's [(1695-1770), Swedish politician] letters; surprised Linnaeus maintained a corresondence with him, little in the letters. After assessing the remaining letters in her possession intends to translate Linnaeus' "little book". She has had to postpone her visit to Lady [Pleasance] Smith on account of bad colds.
Her cousin has given her an explanation of Swedish coins so can now insert the correct information into translations of [Daniel] Solander's letters. Sends translations of [Daniel] Scheidenburg's [(b 1720), Swedish clergyman] letters. She will return all the letters she is not taking with her, for safekeeping. Considers herself engaged to come to Smith's house to work on translation of Linnaeus' "little book".
Note on communication of diploma admitting Linnaeus as a member of the Scientific Society at Rotterdam.
[Translation by Anna Gurney, not dated, references to posthumous publications of Peter Forsskål provide estimate of 1775 for date of original letter]
Death of Professor [Peter] Forsskål [(1732-1763), Swedish naturalist and explorer]; sending his posthumous works "Flora aegyptiaco-arabica" and "Descriptiones animalium" to Linnaeus.
[Incomplete translation of letter dated 6 June 1775, by Anna Gurney]
Enclosing list of plants from Sweden which are not listed in "Flora Anglica".
Returns Smith's "Linnaeus", may ask to borrow it again. Praises Linnaeus' character.
According to Linnaean sexual system, with headings "Monandria" and "Diandria".
[Probably from Roscoe's working papers for his "Monandrian plants of the order Scitamineae.." (1828)]
Sketch drawings in ink and pencil of reproductive organs of 'Canna', 'Maranta', 'Thalia', 'Myrosma', 'Alpinia', 'Zingiber', 'Amomum', 'Costus', 'Kaempferia', 'Curcuma', 'Colebrookia', and 'Gen. nov. au. Bot.'. Labels for 'Phrynium' and 'Philydrum' but no drawings.
[Probably from Roscoe's working papers for his "Monandrian plants of the order Scitamineae.." (1828)]
Observations: 'Hellenia' of Retzius and Willdenow appears to be 'Alpinia'; 'Renealmia' omitted, 'Renealmia exaltata' resembles 'Globba uviformis' and 'Renealmia' of Andrews Bot Rep are 'Alpinia'; 'Amomum' divided into 'Zingiber' and 'Amomum'; 'Amomum zedoaria' is a 'Curcuma'; 'Hornstedtia' of Willdenow to be considered; 'Alpinia comosa' of Willdenow is a 'Costus'; and 'Globba' to be further examined.
[Probably from Roscoe's working papers for his "Monandrian plants of the order Scitamineae.." (1828)]
Unable to wait on Smith this morning as her maid is ill; apologises for what little she is now sending but cannot easily make out Linnaeus' writing. Requests some of [Daniel] Solander's letters to translate.
Apologises for not sending any fresh translations [of Linnaean correspondence]. She has arranged the letters so as they can be sent back to her on her return. She is taking the German letters with her to Hertfordshire; proposes to call on Smith on her return so as to translate Linnaeus' "little book". Requests any further [Carl Peter] Thunberg, [Anders] Sparrman [(1748-1820)], or [Christopher] Tärnström [(1711-1746)] letters Smith might have found.