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Encloses certificate proposing Lord St John as FLS. Received visit from [Thomas] Velley; discussed his and [Samuel] Goodenough's joint paper on 'Fucus'. Praises second fasciculus of [John] Stackhouse's ["Nereis Britannica"], but criticises his plan to form several genera based on microscopic observations, as Hedwig did with mosses, as being too "minute & intricate for general observers"; his own proposed criteria for separating 'Fucus' genera. Chases up copies of his and Goodenough's paper and [James] Sowerby's "Fungi".
Sending by Mr Falconer specimen and seeds of a grass from the Cape of Good Hope, believes it to be 'Holeus saccharatus' but seeks Smith's opinion. Poor weather has prevented him from pursuing botany.
A drawing belonging to George Walker of Hunter Square, Edinburgh, was mistakenly forwarded to Smith by Mr Edwards of Pall Mall; asks Smith to forward it to Walker and refers to letter of Thomas Johnes on subject [on preceeding folio of this letter].
Thanks for Smith's memoir on Ferns [published by Turin Academy]. Mortified by Dr [Robert John] Thornton's [(c 1768-1837), physician and writer on botany] rejection by Linnean Society; intends to propose him again, and if unsuccessful again will propose a change to the rules to reflect those of Royal Society. Concerned by "strong tendency" in Soho Square [home of Sir Joseph Banks] "to throw ridicule upon all persons and proceedings, except a certain set".
Thanks for present of book ["The natural history of the rarer lepidopterous insects of Georgia"] and acknowledgement therein, praises Smith's work, "upon the whole it has the three great requisites to a modern publication - good letter, good paper, and showy plates". Has a pair of 'Papilio lathonia'. Until seeing Smith's cabinets at Hammersmith was unable to distinguish between 'Phalaena', 'Padella', and 'Euonymella'; concluded that 'Euonymella' was not English, but this year [Adrian Hardy] Haworth [(1768-1833) botanist and entomologist] and another have found it and it is described by [John] Ray. Believes Smith is mistaken in his naming of the fly 'Argiolus' Tab. 15.