Address of the merchant Smith is to send seeds to Turin through and additional request for seeds of 'Hedysarum gyrans'. Publishing a refutation of an attack by Dr Dalguiri.
A connection made between himself and Mr Rigby, which will likely effect the rest of his life and a large portion of his son's. Hopes Smith likes his new house [on Great Marlborough Street, London]; its proximity to Sir Joseph Banks must render it agreeable; envies Smith his journey to Oxford with Banks and thinks Smith was "born under an auspicious planet" and deserves the many advantages he enjoys. Botany at a standstill in Norfolk. Expecting a 'Carex inflata' or 'C. montana' from [William] Hudson; received two 'Fucus' and an 'Ulva' from Mr Wigg. [James] Crowe ill with gout.
Believes it will be long time before marine plants are well known. Discussion of 'Aconitum napellus', 'Polypodium thelypteris', 'Carex caespitosa', 'Carex recurva', 'Arenaria verna', 'A. striata', asks what 'Veronica fruticulese' is now called.
Asks Smith to receive some friends visiting England.
Admonishes Smith for reducing length of his intended visit, urges him come soon before it dwindles to a "mere call with a how d'you".
[Robert] Stone [(c 1751-1829), botanist] has found 'Carex strigosa' near Bungay, [Suffolk]. Satisfaction he receives from [John] Ray's "little, accurate descriptions". Requests 'Dinathus glaucus' and 'Carex capillaris'. Fears he will not receive any further correspondence from [Samuel] Goodenough.
[Camper's letter to Smith of 22 June 1788] Refuses invitation to become an Honorary Fellow of the Linnean Society as he looks upon Linnaeus "as a mere Catalogist, and the most superficial Naturalist" he ever knew. Further criticism of Linnaeus; suggests alternative names for the Society.
[Smith's reply to Camper, London, 21 July 1788] Disappointed by Camper's rejection of the Honorary Fellowship and his opinion of Linnaeus, especially as Camper edited some of Linnaeus' works. Explains reasons behind Linnean Society's name.
Progress of Société Royale d'Agriculture. Dominicetti's baths. His brother studying botany.
Examining herbarium of La Billardière; has sent Banks a drawing of "Amaryllis undulata".
Sending specimens for Linnean Society. Remarks on 'Carex strigosa', recently discovered in Norfolk. He and [Thomas] Woodward were unsuccessful in their search for 'Ophrys loeselii'. Requests 'Dianthus virgineus', 'D. glaucus', 'Anconitum napellus', and 'A. cammarum'. Woodward has found 'Carex limosa'.
Recently treated a case of "retroversi uteri" according to Dr Denman's "Introduction to Midwifery" but the patient miscarried.
Received specimen of 'Equisetum fluviatile' from Woodward, expects it it rare.
Queries on nomenclature of several plants: is the blue monkshood the '[Aconitum] napellus' or '[Aconitum] cammarum'; is the common London tuft 'Dianthus barbatus' or '[Dianthus] carthusianorum'; asks for the name of the plant he encloses [not extant].
Smith has annotated his responses in the margin, confirming 'Acontium napellus', 'Dianthus barbatus' and has sent 'Dianthus carthusianorum', and Rose's specimen is 'Melaleuca scoparia'.
Thanks for election as F.M.L.S. ; La Billardière in Corsica.
Thanks Smith for seeds, some of which have been planted along with seeds Smith intended for [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli before his death. Scopoli's third fasciculus has been published. A dissertation by Linnaeus published by Smith is being translated into Italian. Enjoyed reading Smith's inaugural [Linnean] dissertation. Collecting the plants on Smith's list and enquires if there are any more. [Carlo] Allioni and [Rodrigo de] Sousa [Coutinho] send their respects. A minor disagreement with Daquin has required Bellardi to add some botanical observations to "Flora Pedemontana". Sending seeds of 'Phalaris savilianensis' which he believes to be different from 'Phalaris phleoides'.
Thanks for plants, particularly pleased with 'Juncus jacquini'; 'Juncus pedatus'; 'Dianthus alpinus'; and 'L. croceus'. Encloses his list of desiderata [extant]. Sends specimens of 'Orchis coriophora'; 'Lobelia urens'; a new lichen he names 'Lichen atrocuber'; a 'Boletus' described in Murray's "S N" as 'Botelus rugosus' of Jacquin and the 'Boletus demidiatus' of [Carl Peter] Thunberg; and 'Botelus aubliquatus' of [Jean Baptiste François Pierre] Bulliard [(1742-1793) botanist] (no.2293), details on its worldwide habitat. Also sends some dubious plants for identification, listed. Will send 'Sium repens'. Asks Smith to construct a list of French desiderata from [Thomas François] Dalibard's [(1709-1799) physicist and botanist] "Florae parisiensis prodromus".
Concerned to hear of Smith's poor health from [Nicholas] Gwyn. Has toured North Wales collecting plants and preserved many from Snowdon and other mountains in Carnarvonshire, including: 'Saxifraga nivalis', 'S. stellaris', 'Anthericum serotinum', 'Aracium alpinum'. Also collected many species of cryptogamia which he will send to Smith, Sir Joseph Banks, or [John] Sibthorp.
Hopes Smith has recovered from his illness. Would prefer to be a Fellow rather than Associate of the Linnean Society; requests information and rules of the Society. Pleased by Smith's short paper on the irritability of plants. Postponing writing his 'Lycoperdon' paper until the winter; requests Smith's notes and transcript of Dillenius on 'Bovista'.
He and [John] Pitchford searched in vain for 'Ophrys loeselii' in St Faith's bogs, which have been improved and drained, but found new habitat for 'Carex limosa'; [Robert] Stone [(c 1751-1829), botanist] found 'Carex strigosa', a "capital addition" to the Norfolk flora. Received four specimens of 'Algae': 'foeniculaceus' of Gmelin and [William] Hudson; 'Abies marina' of Gmelin but erroneously labelled; a non-descript 'Fucus'; and a non-descript 'Conferva'; observations on all. A recently published figure of [Louis] Gerard's 'Thesium alpinum' does not resemble the Suffolk plant, asks for comparison with Linnaean herbarium. Requests specimens of 'Equisetum sylvaticum', 'Mentha villosa', and 'M. sylvestris'. Asks if 'Fucus pyriferus' Linnaeus is Sir Joseph Banks' 'Fucus giganteus'.
The Frazer collection; its value.
Grateful for election as FMLS. Is sending two specimens of each species of 'Arenaria' as described by [Carlo] Allioni in his "Flora" but warns of inaccuracies caused by Allioni's poor sight. Agrees with Smith that the lichen sent to [Carlo Antonio Ludovico] Bellardi is separate but close to 'nivalis' ['rivularis'?]. Forwarded Smith's letter to Bellardi who is touched by the support against Dr de Chambery, "a true charlatan". Asks to be remembered to Mr Harbord and [Eberhard August Wilhelm von ?] Zimmerman. Looking forward to receiving the works Smith promised him.
Thanks for admittance as Associate Member of the Linnean Society. Will send drawings he intends to make of unknown and rare insects and birds in his collections. Offers to procure pictures of Piedmont insects unknown to Linnaeus but mentioned by [Johan Christian] Fabricius and [Otto Friedrich] Muller [(1730-1784) Danish naturalist] for Smith's intended new edition of a Linnaeus work. [Baron d'Avise de Charvensod] wishes to exchange minerals with Smith. Sends compliments to [Thomas] Marsham and agrees with Smith that his work on "Entomologia Britannica" would be easier if he starts with 'Coleoptera'.
Still awaiting the works Smith sent, in addition requests transcription of [Johan Christian] Fabricius' 1783 memoir on the hearing of insects and tracings of the plates for his own work. Congratulations on establishment of Linnean Society, gratified by invitation to join. Highlights errors in [Lazzaro] Spallanzani's [(1729-1799), Italian physiologist] work on digestion by comparing it with [John] Hunter's [(1728-1793), surgeon] memoir on same. Chair of Chemistry and Botany at University of Pavia still vacant since death of [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli.
[On separate folio] List of plant names, possibly in a different hand, no reference to this in the rest of the letter.
Davall; congratulations on founding Linnean Society; minerals collected in the Alps; list of plants found; future places.