From:
John Hellins
To:
Nevil Maskelyne
Date:
1796
Source of text:
L&P/11/10, Royal Society
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
Royal Society
No summary available.
No summary available.
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Much obliged to Mrs Smith and the effort she goes to in supplying turkeys. Reports on an extremely fertile field near Norwich, apparently due to plague victims being buried in it.
No summary available.
Compiling an account of an earthquake felt at Norwich, unsure whether it was caused by "an explosion in the air or under the earth".
Silk for purses to be had at Gardons, St James's Street, London. Arrived back in Hafod from London late on evening of New Year's Day, which was like being "awakened from a frightful dream". An incident in London has made him "look on mankind with no friendly eye". Dr [James] Anderson has been "most amazingly active here", including starting work on a pensile garden for his daughter [Mariamne Johnes], and he is satisfied with his own gardens.
Everything quiet and "perfectly tranquil" in this part of the country; bread is 6lb wheat, 6lb rye, and 9lb potatoes, "which is equally good, to my taste, as yours at Hammersmith".
Death of Smith's father; L'Héritier; unable to send books.
Sorry to hear Smith has not received the letter she sent him some time ago. Her father returned home on 1 January and bought her a "very pretty diamond beetle", some cork, and a pair of "flappers". Asks whether 'Banksia ericaefolia' has ever flowered in England. They have had "dreadful" stormy weather. Looking forward to seeing Smith and Mrs Smith at Hafod next summer.
Encloses comments from [Samuel] Goodenough on [John] Lightfoot's 'Fucus' specimens, showing that Lightfoot's work on this genus was "almost always guesswork". Expects a battle with Goodenough over 'Fucus repens' and its right to be called a species; observations. [John] Stackhouse's "accuracy & industry" in investigating marine plants, in reference to 'F. repens'. Long character description and observations on 'F. repens'.
Encloses papers and drawings from Colonel [George] Montagu [(1753-1815)] for Linnean Society; Montagu wishes to know whether the sandpiper with red legs and dark body colour is a new species; Latham notes it is similar to 'Tringa maritima' of Norway and Iceland, and one brought from Quebec by Colonel Davies; observations on latter. Also Montagu's accounts of 'Motacilla sylvatica' and 'Alanda petrosa'.
Latham's recommendations for publication of these observations, considering recent publications on the same species.