From:
Matthew Baillie
To:
John Hunter
Date:
1788
Source of text:
L&P/9/90/1, Royal Society
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Royal Society
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Requests to borrow the first volume of Smith's "the Lives of the Poets" to use as an example to her youngest son.
Sends 'Carex halleriana', 'Rosa alpina', and a new species of 'Origanum' for Smith's opinion. Concerned at Smith's impending absence and shall look upon it as a year's loss to "our infant [Linnean] Society". Hopes Smith will give [Thomas] Marsham his opinion of best way in making the Society known in a "proper and respectable manner". Recommends preparing the papers already submitted so that it may be known how earnest they are to communicate findings; acquire drawings of plants and insects for which no good picture exists; to publish new new and dubious species such as 'Astragalus arenarius', 'Athamanta oreoselinum'; indexes to old botanical books; and partial floras. Requests to borrow [Richard] Brown's "Prosodia Pharmacopceorum" for a few days.
No summary available.
Asks Smith to determine arrangements for Linnean Society dinner and meeting. His opinion of prospective members, including: [John] Lightfoot, Macie, and Forsyth. [John] Latham joined immediately, and Dr John Sims has also joined.
[Jones, 4 pp] Observations on figures of 'Papilio' of Linnaeus and Fabricius, in case Smith attempts a new edition of "Systema Naturae".
[Smith, 6 pp] notes on drawings of various 'Papilio' and 'Phalaena' species.
No summary available.
Shall call on Smith on the first "fair Friday", otherwise invites Smith to visit him.
No summary available.
Various subjects.
"Sherardia foetida".
Thanks Smith for executing business commissions in London and gives instructions for further arrangements with Mr Elmesly, bookseller. Believes that it is only through Smith that the public can expect a good reprinting of the "Systema Vegatabilium". Requests "American seeds", will send seeds from the Alps in return.
Encloses copy of rules [of the Linnean Society], as settled at Smith's house; most members agree. Asks Smith for names of other possible members, including [William] Hudson, [John] Lightfoot, and [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert.
This letter is from two correspondents.
[L'Abbé de Ramatuelle writes:] Is studying trees of Europe; asks Smith to send boughs of all species of Engish trees packed in moss; other demands.
[D'Autie writes:] confirms the Abbé's requisitions.
Thanks for plants, the unnamed one is 'Ophrys loselii'; asks if it is the same as 'O. paludosa' in "Flora Danica". [William] Hudson doubts if 'Aquilegia alpina' is different from 'A. vulgaris'. Declines Smith and [Samuel] Goodenough's invitation to join Linnean Society on basis that he has nothing to write about; he has no botanical pretensions, other than to know the British plants and specifically those intended by [John] Ray. Has the real 'Malva parviflora' of Linnaeus, found by Hudson in Devon. Remarks on prolific accenting errors in [William Withering's] "Botanical arrangement".
A new edition of the "Systema naturae".
No summary available.
No summary available.