Founding a Phytographical Society; list of desiderata.

Glad Smith has recovered his eye-sight. [James] Sowerby informs him that Smith wishes to discuss 'Agrostis minima'. Explains that having previously agreed that 'Agrostis minima' was monaecious after observation now believes it is a new genus and has placed it next to 'Triticum' under generical name of 'Solea', gives its character and names plant 'Solea monensis'. In Scotland was shown a new species of "Foxtail" by George Don, has described it under 'Alopecurus ovatus' and Don has sent a specimen to Sowerby. Believes it is opposite to the "corollis muticis" Linnaeus applies to 'Alopecurus geniculatus'. His "Gramina Britannica" is nearly finished after having delineated every species himself in almost all instances in its native habitat, "an undertaking of considerable fatigue, and personal danger". Needs only six plants to complete the task, inlcuding 'Phleum crinitum' and 'Agrostis littoralis'. Encloses specimen of 'Polypodium' [extant] gathered from Craig Hallech, Breadalbane mountains in Scotland. In postscript adds he has a specimen of 'Quercus robur' from the only oak in Birnam wood for Mrs Smith, "a classic name in a British ear"; found 'Festuca calamaria' in Derbyshire; saw 'Lysimachia thyrsiflora' in abundance; and found a new habitat for 'Cripipedium' "but must not divulge it, least avarice destroy the plant".

Specimen of 'Polypodium'.

Satisfaction at the Peace; Institut to acquire all of Smith's works; desire duplicates of Jamaica plants.

Reassures Smith that [William] Sole did not leave anything abusive towards Smith in his manuscripts [Sole took umbrage at Smith's classification of 'Mentha' in "Flora Britannica"]. Explains that Sole did not know Linnaeus' system and believed that the authority of Jean Johannes Bauhin [(1541-1613)], Caspar Bauhin [(1560-1624)], Sir John Hill [(1714-1775)], [John] Ray and others were sufficient to establish the species and Smith should consider these notes "harmless remarks of a mind cowed by disappointment". Sole's notes now in possession of a friend of Smith's, and one unknown clergyman has already been denied permission to publish them. As Smith plans to dedicate a genus to Sole relinquishes his own intentions for same, if 'Agrostis minima' is to be used suggests substituting 'minima' for another word, hopes [James] Sowerby has delinated it in the same way. Requests ['Agrostis littoralis']. Found a ['Bromus arvensis'] that corresponds exactly with the specimen in [William] Sherard's [(1659-1728)] herbarium and with [Johann Georg Daniel] Leers' [(1727-1774)] and "Scheuatzer's" descriptions, subsequently his representation will differ from that in "English Botany".

Habitat of 'Bromus arvensis' which is growing in his own fields along with 'Lolium perenne'. Received seeds and ferns from Jamaica. Received letter from [Jacques-Julien de] Labillardière who has been commissioned by French government to publish natural history of his voyage [to Australia]. Extract from Labillardière's letter, in French, on his appreciation of England, and on the chemist Guiton Morreau [Louis-Bernard Guyton-Morveau (1737-1816)]. Could not find 'Bromus erectus' for [William Fitt] Drake. A life of Cyrillus [5th century Greek jurist] in August's "Monthly Magazine". [Richard] Salisbury has found twenty new species of 'Erica' in [Lambert's] plants from the Cape [of Good Hope], intends including them in a supplement to his paper on the same.

Thanks for Smith's offer for assitance in completing his book ["Description of the genus Pinus"]. Pleased Smith has "settled the willows". Letter from [Jacques-Julien de] Labillardière who is sending a packet of plants by [Karl Friedrich von] Gaertner [(1772-1850)], comments that he is successfully following his father's career [Joseph Gaertner (1732-1791)] and is to visit England. Has a "fine copy" of [Johann] Hedwig's "Mus." ["Species muscorum"?] should Smith wish to borrow it. The Secretary to the English embassy in Naples, [Italy], is sending plants of 'Papyrus' and seeds, also informed by him that [John] Graeffer [(1746-1802), gardener to Queen of Naples] is dead, will send any plants they desire. A young draughtsman [unnamed] from Bath copying plates lent by Smith.

Received collection of plants from New South Wales, Australia, from Governor [Arthur] Philip [(1738-1814) first governor of New South Wales] including 'Metrosideros' and 'Melaleuca', offers to send them, they are not in "White's collection". Encloses 'Emobothrium' [Smith has annotated underneath "'myricifolium'"]. Also a parcel of New Zealand plants from Dusky Bay, most are Forster's, offers to send. Apparently training a young man in botany, he is currently learning French.

Pleased to hear Smith has [Edmund] Davall's herbarium. Is currently organising his Cape [of Good Hope] plants from [William] Roxburgh and [Arthur] Philip [(1738-1814) first governor of New South Wales], will give Smith duplicates. Letters arrived from the "Investigator" [Matthew Flinders' expedition to map Australian coast], surprise that they have already surveyed the unknown part of coast of New Holland from [?] to Bass Straits. [Ferdinand] Bauer [(1760-1826)] has made 360 drawings of new plants. A box of seeds has been sent. Asks of Smith's progress reviewing manuscript for Lambert's book "Description of the genus Pinus". Received books from Spain including complete works of [Antonio José] Cavanilles and fourth voulme of "Flora Peruviana", comments on the 'Alstroemeria' described therein. [Karl Friedrich von] Gaertner [(1772-1850)] is visiting and working on his herbarium. A group of Spaniards are currently in England and planning to travel to the interior of Africa, including [Simon de Roxas] Clemente [y Rubio]. Has fourteen numbers of "Annals of Natural History" from Spain. Encloses an unspecified item sent by the late Snelgrove of Norwich. Thanks Smith for herrings.

As Smith's printer unable to undertake printing of "A description of the genus Pinus" will have Bensley do it, asks Smith to arrange. Asks Smith to correct synonyms in the manuscript. Will send specimens of 'Pinus cedrus', asks what Smith has done about 'Zizaria'. Manuscript "Life of Linnaeus" now with [William George] Maton. Received letter from [Antonio José] Cavanilles who is about to publish twenty-four genera of ferns. Longs to hear what Smith means "relating to a certain friend" who has taken the chair at last two Linnean Society meetings. Settled in their Grosvenor Street house. Received specimens of 'Papyrus' from Sicily, which is the same as the one from Egypt, divided it with Sir Jospeh Banks.

Itinerary for his tour of the north of England and Scotland collecting grasses for his "Gramina Britannica". Requests specimens of 'Phleum crinitum' and 'Agrostis littoralis'.

Death of [Richard] Pulteney. Plans to republish Pulteney's ["A general view of the writings of Linnaeus"] possibly using the manuscripts bequeathed to him, and to include a new biographical preface on Pulteney.

Requests information from Smith on Linnaeus' unpublished manuscripts for new edition of [Richard] Pulteney's "A general view of the writings of Linnaeus". Planning to include diary of Linnaeus and some original unpublished letters if he succeeds in purchasing them. Requests Smith's knowledge on the medical part of Linnaeus' writings.

Has sent his 'Synopsis'; list of 44 species of mosses, lichens, etc., to be determined by the Linnaean system; wishes to make exchanges with Goodenough.

Received Smith's and [John] Pitchford's parcels of plants. Intends to send a paper on mosses, lichens and ferns for next "Linnean Transactions". Asks after "Flora Britannica" and [James] Sowerby's "English Fungi". Sends some grasses for Smith's judgement and requests specimens of others, Smith has marked those he sent from a longer list: 'Scirpus multicaulis', 'Poa procumbens', 'Dactylis striola', 'Festuca vivipara', 'Festuca uniglumis', 'Arundo calamagrostis', 'Triticum loliaceum', 'Juncus maritimus', 'Juncus spicatus', 'Carex loliacea', 'Carex filiformis', and 'Carex tomenstosa'. Note from Smith that he sent: 'Poa subcaerulea', 'Carex pauciflora', 'Carex chordorrhiza', 'Avena distichophylla', 'Phalaris ariculata', and 'Scirpus caespitosus'. Requests Smith to send back the drawings of fungus he sent [in 1795].

Cut off by the war; working on a new book on fungi; has never received diploma from the Linnean Society and thinks he was not elected.

Intends to publish a thesis on animal hibernation, comments and queries: complains that many authors on it are inaccurate; has compiled information from [John] Hunter [(1728-1793) surgeon], [Peter Simon] Pallas, [Daines] Barrington [(1727-1800) lawyer and naturalist], [Johann] Gmelin, [Bernard Germain de] La Cepede [(1756-1825) naturalist], [John] Gough [(1757-1825) natural and experimental philosopher], [Georges-Louis Leclerc] Buffon [(1707-1788) naturalist], and others; asks if the dissertations on hibernation listed in Sir Joseph Banks' "Catalogu[s bibliothecae historico-naturalis]" vol 2 p449 include observations on animal temperatures etc.; proposes to observe hedgehogs. Asks if there are anatomical differences, including in the omentum, of swallows, martins and other birds which supposedly hibernate. Asks if the annual migration of birds is a "well-established fact" in light of swallows and others being found torpid in winter, concludes it sometimes does occur but thinks it impossible for birds to live underwater. Has not yet learnt whether fish hibernate.

Appreciates Smith's proposal to add a footnote mentioning the republication of his "Flora Canatabrigiensis" when quoting from the same.

Sends observations and remarks on first two volumes of [James Sowerby's] "English Fungi" [extant]; intends to do same for remainder. Asks after Sowerby's "[British] Mineralology", jokes that he will be able to pave a path from Walthamstow to Norwich with the plates. Contemplating publication of new edition of "Plantae Woodfordienses" once Smith has finished "Flora Britannica".

"Remarks on Sowerby's Figures of English Fungi", 21 page manuscript.

Still awaiting receipt of Australasian lichens and plants sent by Smith. Thanks for Smith's letter of 28 December 1801 and information on lichens. Publication of his new lichen work delayed until 1803. Sent Smith specimens via [Olof] Swartz. Concerned to hear of dangerous affliction to Smith's eyes.

List of lichens, 2pp.

Pleased Smith received the items he and [Erik] Acharius sent. Thanks for 'Carex' specimens Smith sent. Lists contents of a missing parcel sent for Smith in 1800, it was largely of cryptogamous plants and hopes to make it up again. Surprise at the accumulation of 'Carex' species in the Swedish flora. [Georg] Wahlenberg [(1780-1851)], who collected many of them, is on a return expedition to the north and hopes to go as far as Nordcap, a return journey of 2400 miles. Wahlenberg has described 170 species of 'Carex' in his paper on the subject, to be published in [Swedish] Academy [of Science's] "Handlingar", lists their intentions for enhancing it. Discusses lichens: possibly sent Smith 'Urceolaria gibbosa' instead of 'Lichen cinereus', discusses both. The Upsala 'Lichen calcareus' Acharius sent is not the old 'L. calcareus' but a true 'L. verrucaria' and not different from Smith's 'L. [tessellatus]', 'multipanctatus' comes near to 'verrucaria'.

Recommends [Johann] Hedwig for settling the mosses in the cryptogamic section of "Flora Britannica", his own opinion is that inflorescene cannot serve as a character for genera, further comments on multiple genera including 'Hypnum', 'Bryum', and others. Would like to correct the errors in Hedwig's "Species muscorum". Also recommends [Heinrich Adolph] Schrader's "Journal of Botany" for its cryptogamic content, there was recently an article in it on 'Filicum', asks Smith's opinion on it and sketches what he learnt from it. Sends specimen of 'Arenaria sulcata'. [Johan Gustaf] Acrel died more than a year ago after being weakened by apoplectic fits, his place [as professor of medicine at Uppsala University] has been taken by [Adam] Afzelius' brother. Afzelius is processing the "Sierra Leone novelties somewhat slow".

This letter mentions and discusses multiple lichen, moss, and fern species.