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The Linnean Society of London Collection
The scientific and personal correspondence of James Edward Smith (1759-1828), purchaser of the collections of Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) and founder of the Linnean Society of London in 1788, was presented to the Linnean Society between 1857 and 1872 by his widow Pleasance Smith (1773-1877). Since then, it has been complemented by additional series. The collection was catalogued, conserved, and digitised from 2010 to 2013, thanks to the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Letters can be searched through Ɛpsilon, with links to images and summaries available on the Linnean Society’s Online Collections (http://linnean-online.org/smith_correspondence.html).
Sending "English botany" as usual, and including 3 bills. Sending prints for "Linnean Transactions" vol 5 tomorrow. Encloses a "rude bit" of [Charles] Abbot's 'Chenopodium urbicum'. Hopes for the 6 drawings for ["English botany"] no.100 soon.
[Spec 20 written in pencil at head of verso of folio]
Adiantum nigrum pinnulis cicutarviae divisurâ' as rare as 'Polypodium arvonicum', describes having once found it with [William] Hudson on Snowdon, Wales, and described in "Hist. Ok. III", sending specimen for Smith's opinion. Also sending specimens of 'Filix montana' and Bolton's 'rhaeticam' via [James] Sowerby. Remembers seeing 'Filix pumila-saxatilis-altora' 30 years ago on a tour of Snowdon with [William] Sheffield [(c 1732-1795) Keeper of Ashmolean Museum, Oxford] where ['Polypodium] oreopteris' was pointed out as 'Thelypteris', refers Smith to [Johann Jacob] Dillenius' description of it as an accurate description of '[Polypodium] oreopteris'; believes 'Filix pumila' to be the true 'Thelypteris' and should be '[Thelypteris] saxatilis' and that 'oreopteris' should be '[Polypodium] querna'. 'Polypodium ilvense' one of the numerous different appearances of 'Polypodium fragile'. 'Tremella vagans' did not resume its form after an undisclosed experiment but believes Sowerby could still make a drawing of it. Pleased that Smith has reversed [Samuel] Goodenough's classification of 'Carex fulva' as a variety only. Wishes Smith well with the "Flora Graeca". Believes habitat for [William] Withering 's 'Ulva lanceolata' should be Anglesea rather than Isle of Man. Queries Withering's 'Polytrichum hercynicum' referring to Hudson's, which is a 'Bryum'. Remdinder for Sowerby that 'Hydnum daviesii' is a pure white, [Smith has marked this with a tick].