Received Smith's letter of 25 February. Advises Smith to set his nephew up in a London or Liverpool mercantile house that follows the Brazil trade so as to obtain a paid voyage to Brazil, where Corrêa would then be able to fulfill the promises he made to Smith in placing him in a Brazilian mercantile house.

Thanks for copy of Smith's "Grammar of Botany", hopes it will show the Horticultural Society "the usefulness of scientific botany". Hopes it is true that the Linnean Society are to take rooms in Soho Square [home of late Sir Joseph Banks]. Expects to see "Councillor Gage" at their assizes next week, he is an entertaining man but doubts he will succeed as a public speaker at the bar. Will feel the loss of Banks when he is next in London. The waters at Bath did not relieve his son's wife twelve-month long "rheumatic and gouty complaint".

Distress at lack of communications from England.

Will endeavour to profit by Smith's "Grammar of Botany" and though glad he has explained [Antoine Laurent de] Jussieu's system will not bother to learn it as he does not find it "more natural" and there are irreconcilables in it. Praises the book's dedication.

Has written on identification of sex of woodcocks and commissioned a nephew in Dublin for opinion of Irish sportsmen; does not recall his authority for male's exterior quill feather to be barred the whole length, but the Irish think the male is larger, has most white at the edge, yellow legs, and a much darker head and neck, and the female dark slate coloured legs. Duke of Gordon's confirmation by examining supposed male "saw the testicles most distinctly".

He has two peach trees "just now showing their habitual excitability" which had just been transplanted out from glass to the open and protected them with oiled paper frames. His son's address whilst attending Parliament.

His weekly fish from Hartlepool, [Yorkshire], just come in, including more than 2lb 1/2 of whitings but often have them as large, and has lately had smelts more than 10 inches long.

Encloses latest list of subscribers [extant] to his "History of Birds". Examined [Coenraad Jacob] Temminck's [(1778-1858), zoologist] "Manuel [d'ornithologie]" for the work, notes on new genera added to Linnaeus'. Printing expected to commence imminently. Unable to determine whether there will be any ornithology in next "Linnean Transactions", in spite of seeing a list of New Holland parrots when last in London. Asks if Smith knows whether Dr Horrfield will be publishing any of the specimens he brought from Java and Ceylon. Still awaiting news of European subscribers.

Written on printed prospectus and list of subscribers for "Latham's History of Birds".

Thanks for copy of Smith's "Grammar [of botany]", which "speaks the hand of a Master, concise yet full". Amused when he sees the "miserable incorrect compilations & imitations" of Smith's former work, and when Smith's "[English] Flora" is published, "the British botanist will find everything he wants in these three works of yours". If he was younger he would pursue study of the Natural Orders, and is sometimes vexed when people say the Natural System will supersede the Artificial.

He no longer has communication with Cambridge [Botanic Garden]; pleased to hear the Liverpool garden flourishes; uncertain of state of Oxford's. Pleased to see "such vast improvements" in botany and horticulture over the last 20 years, even though it renders his own work of no value. His health.

Sends concluding numbers of his "Medical Botany"; apologises for the quality of the engravings, a consequence of the "low state of the arts" in USA; engraved in aquatint and printed in colours. Thanks for naming a genus in his honour ['Bigelowia']; unknown to him until supplement of Rees' "Cyclopedia" was reprinted here; recently obtained specimen of a new 'B. pubescens' from Mr Nuttall of Louisiana; [Jean Louis Marie] Poiret [(1755-1834), botanist] has named the genus 'Forrestiera'.

Encloses letters for Smith detailing a disagreement concerning Smith's niece [apparently concerning a situation for her as a governess].

Sends seeds and list of desiderata.

Sends the first part of his commentary on the "Hortus Malabaricus", if suitable for "Linnean Transactions" will forward the rest. The Wernerian Society in Edinburgh will print a similar commentary on the "Herbarium Amboinense". Arranging the dried plants he brought from India according to the Linnaean method and compiling an index, explains his methodology. Reports the progress of the commentary, having reached 'Hexandria' and already has 900 species. Would like to discuss with Smith what to do with specimen duplicates. Has sent an account of his botanical work in India to the Royal Society of Edinburgh which will form an introduction to his commentaries. Requests berries of the 'Viscum'.

Repeats his requests for 'Stratiotes' and 'Butomus' for his "Naboths vineyard". Hopes to see the Smiths at Arley Hall in the summer. Pleased that Smith received specimens from [Nathaniel] Wallich, received a packet of seeds himself from Wallich but few have germinated, hopeful of mountain firs. Received seeds and bulbs, including 'Liliaciae', from north-east coast of Australia from his protegé. Has Australian shells for Lady Smith should they visit in the summer, and has installed a roaster in his garden to germinate tropical seeds.

Smith "the only orthodox botanist in Europe" and the "Lord-Treasurer of Botany", on account of his possession of the Linnaean collections. Compliments Smith's "Introduction to Botany", which he has translated into German, on allowing him to save the blushes of virgins when explaining the sexual system in his lectures. Bemoans proliferation of "poets" in botany who are either ignorant of the grammar of the science or of Greek and Latin. The struggle to maintain the Linnaean sexual system as the premier natural system in Germany. Asks what happened to the publication of [Abraham] Rees' "Cyclopedia". Discusses his adherence to Linnaean nomenclature. Asks for Smith's assistance in obtaining a Calcutta correspondent.