Text Online
From:
André-Marie Ampère
To:
Claude-Julien Bredin
Date:
1808
Source of text:
Correspondance du Grand Ampère (Paris: 1936), p. 343-344.
Summary:
No summary available.
Contributor:
La Correspondance d’André-Marie Ampère
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Thanks JH for information concerning the comet. Planned to build telescope with object glasses separated from each other. Optician said this would not correct spherical and chromatic aberrations. Wants advice.
Sends parcel from [William] Borrer and a few drawings, including part of a sketch of 'Tremella sarcoides' as he is confident it is young state of another plant; observations. Asks after variety of 'Primula veris' sent some years ago by [Charles] Abbot, figured some years ago in "Annales du Museum" [1808] under name 'P. perreiniana'.
Unsigned.
Received the 5 drawings [for "Flora Graeca"] safely. Hopes to received money from [Thomas] Platt soon [(d 1842), one of John Sibthorp's executors, supervised the publication of "Flora Graeca"]. Received lichens from [Charles] Lyell but has experienced problems with microscope; requests drawing of 'Lichen caesiferus'. Thanks for Smith's condolences on death of his daughter, Felicia.
[Written on recto of proof page from "English Botany" no 1916, dated 1 August 1808]
Only lately received Smith's letter of 17 August [1807]; concerned he had lost Smith's correspondence. Praises Smith's "Introduction to Botany", which "will be the means of highly improving the theoretical part of [his] summer course"; the elementary texts he in general recommends his students are [James] Lee's "Introduction to Botany", [Jean-Jacques] Rousseau's [(1712-1778), philosopher] "Elements [of botany]", "Philosophia Botanica", and translations of Willdenow.
Smith missed opportunity to use his "Plantae rariores" as authority for 'Adiantum capillus-veneris' in "English botany" v22 1564, for which Smith credited [James Townsend] Mackay [(1775-1862), curator of Botanic Garden, Trinity College, Dublin], as did [Dawson] Turner in his "admirable" "Fucus" work.
Apologises for sending overweight parcel. Sent [James] Sowerby flowering specimens of true Irish 'Arbutus unedo' for mention in "English botany" and for honour of Ireland and its natural productions. Dr [Robert] Scott [(1757-1808)], professor of botany at [Trinity College, Dublin] deprived of his post without any equitable cause assigned. Asks if there are to be any new additions to new edition of Smith's "Tour of the Continent".