From:
William Herschel
To:
Joseph Banks
Date:
1789
Source of text:
L&P/9/123, Royal Society
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Royal Society
No summary available.
No summary available.
Asks for news.
No summary available.
Draft of Smith's review John Berkenhout's [(1730-1791), physician and writer] to "Clavis Anglica linguae botanicae" (1789), which appeared in the "Analytical Review" of March or April 1791.
No summary available.
Comments on 'Ophrys paludos' of "Flora Danica", which resembles 'O. loeslii' Linnaeus; and 'Equisetum sylvaticum', which he discovered to be 'E. fluviatile'. Sends specimens of 'Carex gracilis' Curtis and 'C. caespitosa'; observations, including remarks by [Samuel] Goodenough. Requests 'Dianthus glaucus'.
No summary available.
Sends specimen of 'Phormium hyacinthoides', a new genus. Smith to thank [Edmund] Davall for the coloured plate he sent of his intended work.
Unable to supply specimen of newly found crystalised mineral for [William] Thomson [(c 1760-1806), mineralogist and physician], as he only has one specimen himself. Pleased to hear Smith is composing his botanical lectures and undertaking new edition of "Systema [naturae]".
Received Smith's letter of 19 September 1788. Thanks for book by Mr Ellis and one of Smith's Latin dissertations. Shall send copies of his dissertation on the propagation of fish in which he discusses two hermaphrodite fish, 'Perca' and 'Canna'. Is following this publication with one on propagation of cartilaginous fish and one on propagation of crabs, asks whether it is preferred for them to be written in Latin or Italian. Admires Smith's own work on the propagation of the species and his notes on Linnaeus. Not convinced by [Johann] Hedwig's arguments.
Letter sent by Broussonet in Paris to Smith in London. Thanks for election as FMLS. His brother's studies, hopes to take him to London and Edinburgh. De Jussieu. Lemonnier appointed Physician to Louis XVI.
[William Beeston] Coyte is coming to London and will visit Smith. Discusses Smith's publication plans for "Plantarum icones"; "Reliquiae rudbeckianae"; and new edition of "Philosophia Botanica", hoping that this last will be published by the Cambridge University press. Samuel Ewer of Lincoln's Inn Fields, Coyte's brother-in-law, is collecting a library of botany and will subscribe to all of Smith's works. Anger at [William] Curtis' corrections of Linnaeus. Smith's 'Centaurea [solstitialis]' has not produced any viable seed and Jonas has failed in making a successful cutting. Thanks for 'Forsythia' of Frasier which turns out to be only 'Decumaria carbara L'. Can procure Scottish plants for Smith from Dr Ramm. Would welcome [Joseph Franz ?] Jacquin to his home in the summer if Smith invites him. Coyte is to visit Westmoreland, advised to study [William] Hudson beforehand, intends to ask [James] Dickson about having him staying. Displeased from reading [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli. Dissatisfied with [Caspar] Bauhin's [(1560-1624) Swiss botanist] "Prodrumus" and unsurprised by Linnaeus' rare use of it. Enjoyed reading "Hortus Upsaliensis" over the winter. [Charles] Sutton has a "brother botanist" at Norwich, a chaplain of the Bishop, and associates in [William] Kirby [(1759-1850) entomologist], and [Peter] Lathbury of Orford, Suffolk, [(1760-1820) rector]. [John] Pi[t]chford requires 'Equisetum sylvaticum', has a 'Carex strigosa' found last summer near Bungay, Suffolk. Asks Smith for copy of Kew catalogue. In postscript if Smith can acquire seeds of 'Epilobium latifolium' through [Joseph Franz] Jacquin and has two 'Geranium palustre' and a 'Sal. alpinum'.
The genus "Broussonetia".
His trip to Paris: Broussonet took him to the Académie des Sciences in Paris and has enabled correspondence with Montpellier, [France]. [Jean Louis Antoine] Reynier [(1762-1824), botanist] meddling with politics and may end up in the Bastille; he is an observer of "considerable perspicacity" having determined 'Sonchus canadensis' without the the knowledge Smith had communicated. Purchased [Johan Daniel] Leers' ["Flora Herbornensis"] but plates are bad impressions.
Forster; insanity of Le Breton.
No summary available.
Sends specimens for determination, to be returned: one is possibly the true 'Dianthus glaucus' and the other a 'Potamogeton'. Received letter from [Samuel] Goodenough in which he states 'Carex caespitosa' does not grow in England; disagrees, also mentions 'C. gracilis'. Encloses 'Jungermania asplenioides' gathered near Holy-well, Flintshire; observations, it may be 'viticulosa'.
Asks after particulars of Smith's projected new work ["Icones pictae plantarum"]; hopes he will not forget a "Flora Britannica", the need for one. Sending specimens for Linnean Society of 'Salsola fruticosa' and 'Carex caespitosa' "Fl[ora] Ang[lica]". Believes 'Sparganium natans' will turn out to be 'S. simplex' Fl Ang.
A great deal of sickness in Genoa in the winter "has swept away a prodigious amount of our inhabitants". None of [William] Batt's [(1744-1812) physician and chemist] patients died, earning him great credit but the plants in his botanic garden have all been frozen, asks Smith to procure whatever replacements he can. Sir Thomas Rumbold [(1736-1791) administrator of India] and his family have been visiting. Asks to pass apologies to Lord Verney should Smith see him. Thanks Smith for items sent for his little museum. Sending a collection of petrifications for Smith from Baron de la Turbie. Thanks for the "English songs", which are "very acceptable", and are to be sung at a wedding. Postscript from Caffarena's wife, explaining how her mother has been unable to write and thanking Smith for the English songs.
[Jacques] Dorthes in Montpellier, [France], a good correspondent for Davall, though he himself only knows him as an entomologist. Will figure the true 'Sonchus alpinus' in his first fasciculus, now printing [presumably "Plantarum Icones"], convinced the alpine one is 'Sonchus canadensis'; [Jan Fredrik] Gronovius' [(1686-1762)] synonym belongs to 'Sonchus floridanus' as confirmed by [Sir Joseph] Banks' herbarium. Since Davall left discovered that [Albrecht von] Haller's 1338 is 'Scirpus triqueter', not 'Scirpus mucronatus'.
Received specimen of 'Lachenalia tricolor' from Lady Rockingham [Mary Watson-Wentworth]. The King [George III (1738-1820)] "confidently said to be mending". Printing "Reliquiae Rudbeckianae". 'Thouinia' of "Supp[lementum plantarum]" proves to be 'Chionanthus [zeylanicus]', having found it in younger [Carl] Linnaeus' [(1741-1783)] herbarium; intends to give [Andre] Thouin a new genus allied to 'Cordia' in new fasciculus. L'Heritier wants to name 'Morus papyrifera' after Broussonet; keeping back his own 'Broussonetia' for time being. [Jean Louis Antoine] Reynier [(1762-1824), botanist] intends to remain member of Linnean Society and was surprised they thought he was giving up natural history.