Enquiries about Linnaean collections.

Congratulates Smith on acquisition of Linnaean collections; speculates on their worth. Requests copies of works by Hedwig and [Arthur] Broughton. His growing herbarium. Physical Society laid foundation stone of a new Hall. Smith's Society [Edinburgh Natural History Society] is become "by no means inconsiderable" owing to number of respectable members; anticipating seeing Smith in Edinburgh.

Sends specimens of 'Lycoperdon coliforme', 'Pervia cyathoides', and 'Lycoperdon phalloides' for [John] Pitchford, 'Lobelia urens' for Dr [John] Hope, and 'Lichen vulpinus' and a grass; observations and habitats. Reminds Smith of various promises regarding acquisition of mineralogy specimens and books in London.

Thanks for catalogue of fossils and minerals [from the London "fossilist"]; queries and places orders for several items. Hopes the specimen of 'Lycoperdon coliforme' he sent was useful; will gather more information before Smith presents it to the "Edinburgh society". Fears a parcel of specimens he sent to Norwich is lost. Examined 'Liquidambar styraciflua' but found no gum. Details of Smith's payment for [Richard Relhan's] "Flora [Cantabrigiensis]".

Annotation at head of of recto of first folio on "mountain green" and "iron with arsenic" [presumably in reference to Woodward's mineralogy specimens]

General regret at Dr Lubbock's departure from Edinburgh. Account of botanical expedition to Ben Lomond in the autumn, previously undertaken with Smith and Hardy, lists plants found, including: 'Lythrum salicaria', 'Lysimachia vulgaris', 'Sedum rubens', 'Telephium', 'Convolvulus sepium', 'Malva moschata', 'Scirpus maritimus', 'Ruppia maritima', 'Lobelia dortmanna', 'Isoetis sacustris', and bark of 'Osmunda regalis'. Asks if Smith has ascended the highest English mountain, in "Yorkshire", as he intended. Comments on 'Cynosurus caerulens'. Comments on the "pompous" Dr Samuel Ferries, who has moved to London from Scotland.

Thanks for Hedwig and Broughton books, specimens of British plants, information on a cabinet for dried plants, and list of botanical books. List of books to be purchased for University Library, including: [William] Curtis' "Flora Londinensis", [Nikolaus von] Jacquin's "Flora Austriaca", "Icones plantare rariorum", and "Miscellanea Austriaca", [Casimir Christoph] Schmidel's "Dissertationes botanices", [Anders] Retzius' "Fasciculus observationum botanicarum", and Meerberg's "Icones Ludg. Bat.".

Count Castigliani of Milan.

Disappointed to not be seeing Smith in Edinburgh this winter. [William] Younge "storms & rages" at Smith's change of plans. Arrival of frost and snow here disrupting cryptogamic studies; difficulties of studying such plants. Account of Dr Walker's autumn botanical expedition to Ben Lomond, found 'Anthericum calyculatum', 'Dryas octopetala', 'Scutellaria minor' and 'S. galericulata'. Asks if Smith is acquainted with Dr Parsons. Hardy and Ainslie are competitors for a vacant professorship at Oxford or Cambridge.

[Note by John Hope at bottom of verso of second folio] comments on 'Gentiana' root of the shops, said to be root of a cultivated plant.

Requests tubs of herrings for his friends. He is in London for arrival of his son's [James Edward Smith] purchase of the Linnaean collections and for placing his youngest son, Richard, with an architect. Confident of the collection's value. His hopes for Richard.

Introduces Dr Young of the island of St Vincent's, where he had charge of temporary botanic garden.

[Note: letter written to Robert Batty] Thanks for news of safe arrival of Linnaean collections; he had seen some of the books at Customs House whilst collecting a parcel of insects sent from St Petersburg. Sends his compliments to Smith and invites him to Dartmouth, and asks to view the Linnaean collections when possible, never thought it would "fall to the lot of an Englishman to possess" them.

[Smith has noted his reply:] invites Latham to see the collections.

Pleased to hear of safe arrival of Linnaean collections, Smith must have been made anxious by long delay in its coming.

His considerations and advice on Linnaean collections, following discussion with Smith's father [James Smith]: recommends Smith focus on his medical studies, and after arranging and cataloguing it to his satisfaction he should decide what parts, if any, to dispose of; if Smith intends to give lectures then neither the minerals, plants, or insects can be disposed of. Recommends caution on publishing new editions of Linnaeus' works from the manuscripts, and suggests publishing a "Flora Britannica" in "Linnaean dress", if Smith can obtain [John] Ray's plants or verify his synonyms. Danger if exhibiting the plants of being pre-empted in publication of new English plants.

[Richard] Relhan has gathered 'Athamanta oreoselinum' Hudson and named by him 'A. hibanotis'. Hudson has found 'Corrigiola littoralis' on Devon coast.

Congratulates Smith on safe arrival of Linnaean collections; warns against spending too much time studying it. Death of [William] Younge's father. Growth of the [Edinburgh] Natural History Society, though number of naturalists not considerable; Mr Alexander the principle botanist. Death of Dr Lubbock a "blow" to the Brounonians; medical lectures.

Congratulates Smith on acquisition of the Linnaean collections. Informs Smith the sale was settled with [Johan Gustaf] Acrel for 900 guineas just before Sibthorp offered 1000 guineas. Swedes angry with Acrel selling the collection. Recommends Smith visits Göttingen. Asks Smith to send [Joseph] Black's "Lectures on [the elements of] Chemistry". Requests catalogue of Linnaeus' books. Message for [Jonas] Dryander that Sir Joseph [Banks] could acquire much of his desiderata at an upcoming auction by Professor Spielman in Strasbourg. Message for [John] Lightfoot that he has almost a complete collection of the terrestrial and fresh water shells of Switzerland to send to the Duchess of Portland [Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (1715-1785) wife of 2nd Duke of Portland].

Botanical news: asks if [James Dickson] has published his "Lyncean discoveries"; informed by [Pierre Marie Auguste] Broussonet of a 'Rosa unifolia' from Ispahan, Persia, in the Paris garden; presumes first part of L'Héritier's "Plant. Rarior" is almost ready; [Carl Peter] Thunberg has been examining 'Bohun upas' which he believes to be a species of 'Sideroxylon'; believes Ferber will succeed to chair of Bergman; [Johann Christian Daniel von] Schreber is writing monograph on 'Aster' and dissertation on 'Boletus suaveolens'; flora and fauna of Lombardy expected from [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli; [Werner de] Lachenal [(1736-1800)] and [Horace Bénédict de] Saussure [(1740-1799)] collecting materials for a natural history of Switzerland. Is in Göttingen as a practitioner and observing use of medicinal plants including experimenting with 'Caryophyllata' and as the hospital is run by "a pupil of Vienna" so 'Cicuta', 'Arnica', and 'Pulsatilla' are in constant use.

Congratulates Smith on arrival of the Linnaean collections; considering visiting London to see them. Understands that the Linnaean mosses have thrown the British mosses into "entire confusion", and expects the same for the grasses, Umbelliferous, and Syngensious plants, and 'Salix'.

Received letter from [James] Dickson on 'Lycoperdon coliforme', which he is including in ["Fasciculus plantarum cryptogamicarum Britanniae"]; asks if Smith has seen [James] Sowerby's drawing of the specimen he sent. Asks how numerous 'Fucus' are in comparison to number in "Systema vegetibilium", and whether it is worth buying the new edition. If Smith disposes of any book duplicates requests [Peter] Artedi.

Linnaean collections still disordered but Woodward welcome to consult it. Elder Linnaeus' herbarium in "perfect order" but the younger's is unarranged [Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), and Carl Linnaeus the Younger (1741-1783)]. Offers Woodward first refusal of the duplicate books. Discusses Murray's new edition [of "Systema vegetibilium"], which is a "faulty work", as is the "Supplementum plantarum". Has copy of Artedi for Woodward.

Felicitations on Smith's Linnaean collections. His mother has died. Asks Smith to have mourning ring made.

Has edited works of [Pierre Richer de] Belleval.

Encloses his list of desiderata [extant]. Natural history "an object of perpetual pleasure"; has collected and dried 3000 plant specimens. Believes he has all British species except those in his desiderata, offers Smith any specimens he may desire. His collection of lichens and mosses poor and unsatisfactorily arranged. Believes he has all of Hudson's species of 'Fucus'. Smith's purchase of Linnaean collections "sets Britain above all other nations in the Botanical empire".

[On separate folio] Goodenough's "Desiderata Hudsoniana", several marked by Smith: 'Campanula patula', 'Ornithogalum pyrenaicum', 'Juncus triglumis', 'Arbutus aplina', 'Euphorbia characias', 'Chelidonium hybridum', 'Chelidonium corniculatum', 'Lathraea squamaria', 'Subalaria aquatica', 'Vicca lathyroides', 'Hieracium paludosum', 'Gnaphalium supinum', 'Carex limosa', 'Lycopodium alpinum', 'Fucus cartilagineus', and 'Scirpus pauciflorus'. Smith has also noted "sent 'Lichen miniatus', 'Lichen olivaccus', 'Hypnum painetin', 'Hypnumn curpiratum', 'Isoetes lacustris', 'Phalaris phleoides', 'Agrostis littoralis', 'Lichen globiferus', and 'Lichen glaucus'.