Has been suffering from gout which has prevented him from perusing the third volume of "Flora Britannica" and Dawson Turner's "Muscologiae Hibernicae Spicilegium". Asks whether 'Verbascum phoeniceum' has ever been considered indigenous to Britain.

Thanks for Smith's letter of 4 [November 1805]. Expects [Richard] Salisbury's "passions" to "recoil on himself with double impetus"; first he has heard of "Paradisus Loninensis". Reassures Smith regarding "Flora Graeca". Asks if Smith took any notice of specimen of 'Alisma repens' he sent in former letter. Pleased report that Sir Robert Williams, MP, will no longer be taking a long absence. Requests any spare 'Salix' specimens.

Sending Smith further specimens of 'Artemisia', would like Smith's opinion. Also encloses a 'Festuca' [extant], uncertain on the species.

Specimen.

Sends a 'Potamogeton' for Smith's opinion, wary of [James] Sowerby's view that it is 'Potamogeton [heterophyllus]'. Describes in detail his "haemorrhage of the urinary tract" [hematuria]. Enquires after [Dawson] Turner and [Lewis Weston] Dillwyn [(1778-1855), naturalist]. Questions Smith how the three specimens of 'Daviesia' sent to him correspond with entries in "Annals of Botany" and asks for specimens of the two other species of 'Daviesia', [Smith has annotated each question "yes"]. Sends specimens of 'Juncus', asks which is '[Juncus] articulatus'.

Long delay in receiving Smith's note and present of 20 February [1808]. Encloses paper for the Linnean Society; may otherwise include it as note in his work on Anglesey plants ["Welsh botanology" (1813)]. Notices by last number of "English botany" that he is too late to make statement about 'Lichen bicolor'. Concerned to hear of [Richard] Salisbury's "continued insolence" toward Smith, and how [Edward] Donovan [(1768-1837), zoologist] "insults the ashes" of [Thomas] Pennant; intends to respond on latter.

Sent [James] Sowerby specimens of his new 'Potamogeton', previously thought it an elegant 'Euphorbia'; observations.

Thanks Smith for attention to his paper [probably on 'Juncus', see RelatedMaterial]. Thanks Smith for offer to interpose with [Edward] Donovan [(1768-1837), zoologist] who has accused Davies of falsity in a dispute over [Thomas] Pennant's "British Zoology", as well as criticising Samuel Goodenough's paper for "Linnean Transactions" on the "Porbeagle Shark". Sending a package containing: ten species of 'Salix' for identification; 'Schoenus rufus' and 'Festuca uniglumis' for Smith's friends; a 'Oenanthe' that differs from 'Oenanthe pimpinelloides'; some specimens of 'Potamogeton' previously mentioned; and two foreign ferns.

Has sent a package including specimens of 'Salix', a possible variation of 'Oenanthe pimpinelloides', and a 'Adiantum capillus-veneris' sent for the curiosity of where it grew. Encloses a fern [extant] omitted from the package. Thanks Smith for the prescription of ginger which has helped his health, however is now suffering from a severe bout of rheumatism. Asks whether he should be sea bathing for relief at the age of 70. Requests specimens of 'Daviesia umbellulata' and 'Daviesia corymbosa'.

Specimen of fern.

Cured his rheumatism, which had assumed the form of sciatica by applying a plaster of laurel leaves ('Prunus laurocerasus'). Asks Smith to not spend too much time determining the 'Salix' specimens he sent and makes some of his own observations on them.

Postscript to Davies' letter of 28 November 1810 [see RelatedMaterial below]. Sending [James] Sowerby duplicate specimen of 'Lichen scaber', which he had formerly given to [William] Hudson.

Five items enclosed, comprising:

1. [4.45] Letter from Davies to Smith. Sends a possible paper for "Linnean Transactions". Relates his good health although his peace of mind has been disturbed by [Edward] Donovan's [(1768-1837) zoologist] malignity. Believes Donovan's vanity and a "wish to be conspicuous" led to him to dispute sections of [Thomas] Pennant's "British Zoology" in order to support his own work, knowing Pennant to be dead and believing Davies and Pennant's illustrator [Moses] Griffith [(1749-c 1809)] to be also dead. Asks Smith to compare a handwritten extract from Donovan's "History of Fishes" [4.48], a sketch of the Beaumaris shark [4.47], printed letter from Moses Griffith [4.49], and the figure of the shark in "British Zoology".

2. [4.47] Traced copy of Davies' original drawing of the Beaumaris Shark, the same which he lent to Edward Donovan, asks Smith to compare it to the reduced copy which appears in "British Zoology" and the "audacious" account Donovan gives in the 'Squalus cornubicus' article in "History of British Fishes", note to also see [Samuel] Goodenough's article on the Porbeagle shark in "Linnean Transactions".

3. [4.48] Handwritten extract from article on 'Squalus cornubicus' from Donovan's "History of British Fishes", in which Donovan claims that Davies' drawing of the shark as it appears in "British Zoology" is altered from the original to such an extent that a very different fish is conveyed, implying that this led to Goodenough erroneously claiming in "Linnean Transactions" that the 'Squalus cornubicus' could not be the same as the Beaumaris shark.

4. [4.49] Printed extract from a letter written by Moses Griffith and published in "the Cambrian" 30 Dec 1809 refuting Donovan's claims that he was dead and defending himself against criticism of his draughtsman skills.

5. [4.50] Printed "Extracts from the North Wales Gazette" 1 March and 8 March 1810. Davies first defended against Donovan's accusations of Davies spreading falsehoods in the June 1809 "Gentleman's Magazine". Donovan replied in the August 1809 and September 1809 "Gentleman's Magazine". Davies was apparently prevented from replying again in the "Gentleman's Magazine" so recoursed to the North Wales Gazette in which he makes a lenghty defense. Davies has annotated sections with page references to Pennant's "Tours in Wales".

Delayed sending 'Lichen scaber' till Smith was in London; asks for any news of publication of his paper on subject.

[Spec 11 written in pencil at top of verso of first folio]

Thanks for letter acknowledging receipt of 'Lichen scaber'; sends further specimen of it with a different kind of fructification [extant]

Specimen labelled "'Lichen scaber' with roughish warts H[ugh] D[avies]".

Sends a possible paper for "Linnean Transactions" for Smith to judge whether it makes any additional observations to what appears in George Montagu's [(1753–1815) naturalist] previous paper on Marine Animals [see Related Material]. Enquires after Smith's specimen of 'Lichen scaber' which was described in "English Botany" as a "great botanical rarity".

Sends coloured drawing [extant] of what he believes to be an undescribed 'Syngnathus' after having consulted [Johann Friedrich] Gmemlin's [(1748-1804) naturalist] "Systema Naturae". Proposes to name it 'Syngnathus pentagonus', detailed description follows. Has recently suffered from a severe recurrence of his hematuria.

Coloured drawing of two fish, labelled "'Gasterosteus spinnachia' Linn., 15-spined Stickle-back of Pennant" by Smith and 'Syngnathus pentagonus' by Davies.

Since his last letter has been "seized with a paroxysm of gout in both hands and feet". Sends specimen of a "stranger", annotated in the margin by Smith 'Rubus'. Refers to the drawing of a fish he sent in his last letter, believing it to be the "15 spined stickleback figured by Pennant" but believes other aspects of it make it of the genus 'Syngnathus". Wishes Smith luck with the "English British Flora". Sends another specimen, Smith has annotated above 'Sagina procumbens'.

Suffering from gout in all his limbs and the "various satellites of old age". Enquires after progress of Smith's "British Flora in English". Asks if Smith has seen his "Welsh Botanography", lists recommended pages. Asks Smith to read the Preface and advise on worth of adding the British or Welsh name to each subject in Smith's work, as [Thomas] Johnson [(c 1600-1644) apothecary] attempted in his edition of [John] Gerard's [(1545-1612) barber-surgeon] ["Herball"] and John Davies' [(c 1567-1644) Welsh lexicographer] "Dictionarium Duplex". A new habitat for 'Serapis ensifolia', found in flower, in May, on Snowdon.