Apologises for delay in remarking on plants sent by Swainson; finishing his part of Rees's "Cyclopedia". "Little hairy fern with simple fronds" found Rio Janeiro agrees in size and shape with 'Blechnum Lanceola' of Swartz in Stockholm Transns. for 1817. p. 71. t. 3. f. 2; observations. Grass marked 'Digitaria of Persoon?' is 'Paspalum conjugatum' Willd. Sp. M., also 'P. dissectum' of Linnaeus' Syst. Nat. ed. 12. v. 2. Dark-cold grass from "deep forests at Pernambuco" another 'Paspalum', species unknown. 'Cyperus', 'culm triangular, bogs at Pernambuco' unknown. "Very rare" grass, from "sandy table lands in the interior of Pernambuco", close to 'Agrostis radiata' of Linnaeus. 'Cassia' "in dry sandy tracts" unknown. A new 'Lythrum', near 'racemosum' but distinct. An 'Eriocaulon fasciculatum' of Lamarck & Willdenow, or very near it. Their plant appears to want the many awlshaped leaves of the common calyx, or involucrum. A 'Campanula' appears to be 'C. minor ['minima'] africana, erini facie &c', Hermann Leigd. Bot. 108. t. 111, erroneously cited by Linnaeus for his 'C. erinoides'; has this plant from Sierra Leone. Does not have his 'Hyptis' under that genus, does not seem to be any of Willdenow's.

[Draft or copy]

Hopes Smith recovered from the indisposition he suffered when he "honoured our town [Liverpool] with [his] instructive visit". Forced to give up botanical part of his Brazilian collections so as to focus on the zoological side, which is his main interest anyway, but anxious that botany should benefit from his collecting in places where no one has been but himself; offers to present any able botanist with collection of his duplicates, on condition of results being presented to Linnean Society; asks Smith to propose it to any of his competent botanical friends.

Happy to draw up a paper of "Plantae Brasilienses"; does not anticipate it being very difficult, having the Linnaean herbarium, all of Rublet's specimens, and Commerson's; impossible for anyone to do such a work without seeing those specimens. However, his next work must "absolutely be a British Flora in English long promised", so cannot undertake Swainson's work at present, and is also pressed by "Flora Graeca". Believes the 'Graminae' would be the most difficult part.

Encloses specimen of handwriting of Linnaeus. Cannot think of any other person, except [Robert] Brown, "who cannot do half he is engaged in", competent enough to do what Swainson wants, "as it ought to be done".