Comments on the petrified wood sent by Baron de la Turpie, who is now the King of Sardinia's ambassador to the Empress of Russia. Feels his advancing age. Introduces Mrs Langford, daughter of Thomas Sainsbury, Alderman of Billingsgate. Ippolito Durazzo's wife has recently given birth to a son. Caffarena's own youngest son wishes "serve his king and country in the navy".

Smith and his friend should visit on any day acceptable to them but warns neither her plants nor her buffaloes are looking their best; she lost two young bulls so diseased that they were not safe for dissection. Wishes Smith could have seen how Grieg, her gardener, divided 'Helicornia'. 'Ixora coccinca' coming into flower. [James] Lee says the 'Pancratium' [James] Sowerby sketched is the 'P. littorale' in [Nikolaus von] Jacquin and [Georg Dionysius] Ehret [(1708-1770)]. Pleased her 'Justicia' "comes to so much honour in its old age", never saw it flower before and did not know it was unusual.

Expecting [Harvey] Spragg tomorrow, he wanted Smith to come too but Smith prefers a Saturday. Grieg has not got rid of his cough. She has been ill; blistered her stomach and is now better. Would like to see Linnaeus' manuscript.

Thanks for diploma ; memoir on sex-organs of plants.

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No summary available.

Received Smith's letter and Linnean Society diploma. [Gregory] Boraston briefly visited him, has given him a copy of [Pier Antonio] Micheli's [(1679-1737)] 60 plates ["Icones plantarum submarinarum"] for Smith. Brief history of Micheli's work: it was intended for second volume with "Nova Genera", and Tozzetti's father [Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti] attempted to separate the zoophita from the plants after Micheli's death. Plans to publish the unpublished parts, may ask Smith for assitance. Also sending with Boraston his memoir on 'Lathyrus sativus', many additional observations can be made and adds that after Mr Visconti had for some time been fed a small amount of the seeds of it and lost the use of his legs. Visconti eventually died and at his dissection it was discovered he was suffering from advanced synovitis in the joints and his bones had become so soft that they could be cut with a knife.

Collecting plants; presents his works; new plants from Mexico; will send Spanish plants.

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Numbered observations on some of the plants Davall sent him. Lady Rockingham has been ill but now recovered. Intends to bring out "Syst. Veg." next winter followed by "Obs[ervationes] Bot[anicae]". Warns Davall not to be cheated by [Albrecht von] Haller [(1758-1823)] and [Jacob] Wyttenbach and to bring out his book as soon as possible, approves of title "Illustrationes Hallerianae". Received Davall's box sent via [Charles St Clair, 13th] Lord Sinclair [(1768-1863)]; thanks for 'Lichen cucullatus', forwarded parcel to [William] Curtis. Spoke to [James] Sowerby about copying 'Protea mellifera'. '[Tussilago] paradoxa' called 'Tussilago spuria' of [Anders Jahan] Retzius [(1742-1821)]. His 'Senecio nemorensis' has "eight or nine rays". Knows no good figure of 'Carex saxatilis'.

Flattered that Davall should wish him to be godfather to his child but could not promise to bring it up in the Church of England as he finds it too close to popery and "believes no nonsense under the specious name of mystery"; explains his own religious beliefs.

'Cardamine resedifolia' and 'Stellaria cerastoides' growing in his garden. Hopes [Charles St Clair, 13th] Lord Sinclair [(1768-1863)] will be able to deliver the parcel of lichen in fructification and the true 'Stellaria biflora' of Linnaeus. Hopes to publish his work before next March and Smith's "Systema Vegetabilium". Thinks the editors of new edition of [Albrecht von] Haller's "Historia Stirpium" ambitious to think it will appear before Easter 1792.

Pleased with [James] Sowerby's figure of his 'Sisybrium'. The bead work he sent for Smith's sister is from a covent at Pontarlier, [France]. Received "Hortus Kewensis". Wishes for Smith's agreement on differentia specificae of following plants, some include observations of his own: 'Potamogeton (retusum)', 'Gentiana (pedunculata)', 'Chenopdium polyspermum', 'Crepis musicata', 'Spartium decumbens', 'Sisymbrium obtusifolium', and 'Phyteuma'. Impatient for the rest of [James] Dickson's answers on cryptogamia he sent so as to be correct in his new species for [Werner de] Lachenal's "Flora Helvetica". Asks to be recommended to [John] Fairbairn, [James] Lee, and [William] Aiton. Genus 'Potentilla' and number eight on his list of plants sent requires special attention.