Received Smith's of 13 June, congratulations on becoming MD. Thanks for purchasing works of [Hieronymus David] Gaubius [(1705-1780) German physician and chemist]. The '[Pancratium maritimum]' Smith sent is growing well but the 'Mantis. alt.' is not. Requests "Traité de la Versification Latine" by Pere [Noël-Etienne] Sanadon and "Tacite" by l'Abbé Brotier. Thanks for remarks on 'Conium royenii' and 'Alyssum minimum', discusses latter mentioning 'Clypeola maritima' and 'Alyssum siculum'. Smith's 'Sisymbrium murale' is flourishing, takes it to be 'Brassica erucastrum' of Linnaeus, believes Linnaeus never saw 'Brassica muralis' and made 'Sisymbrium murale' a French rather than British plant, would like Smith to confirm. Lists plants recently found in Norfolk: 'Stellaria dichotoma', 'Pinguicula', 'Drosera', 'Anagallis tenella' and 'Melampyrum arvense'. A 'Verbascum pulverulentum' they take to be a variety of 'Verbascum lychnitis', so variable that he doubts the number of actual species. In Paris asks Smith to examine 'Coffea arabica' and 'Coffea occidentalis'. Presumes [David] van Royen [(1727-1799)] is pursuing the system of his uncle [Adriaan van Royen (1704-1779) Dutch botanist]. Requests any non-entomological works by [René Antoine Ferchault de] Réaumur, [Charles] Plumier [(1646-1704) French botanist] and [Sébastien] Vaillant [(1669-1722) French botanist]. Asks whether 'Eryngium campestre' and 'Menyanthes nymphoides' are common in England.

Congratulates Smith on his successes in Leiden. Asks after the health of the 'Chamaerops humilis' planted by [Carolus] Clusius [(1526-1609), Flemish physician and botanist]. Interrupts letter to say he has just caught a second 'Cimex personatus'. Has never seen more 'Musca bombylans', 'Musca mystacca', and 'Musca pellucens' than this year. Observes that particular insects can significantly fluctuate year by year; recalls an abundance of the moth 'Geometea sambucaria' eight years ago that has not repeated since. Asks Smith to take as many 'Curculio paraplecticus' as he finds. Believes the 'Ptinus elytris striatis' is Linnaeus' 'Ptinus mollis'. Brief details of plans for forming a new natural history society either within the Society for Promoting Natural History or independently discussed with Sir Joseph Banks, [Thomas] Marsham, and [William] Forsyth [(1737-1804), botanist and founding member of Royal Horticultural Society].

In a postscript Goodenough writes that his brother-in-law, Dr James Ford, has been appointed Dr Mours replacement as physician to St George's Hospital "to the total discomfiture" of [John] Hunter [(1728-1793), surgeon] and "the whole Scotch interest", who had been working to secure Dr Bailey's succession instead.