Henry Bryant, Heydon, [Norfolk], to James Edward Smith

Summary

Requests specimens, presumably collected during Smith's northern tour, of 'Juncus spicatus', 'Juncus biglumis', 'Juncus triglumis', 'Gnaphalium supinum', 'Anthericum calyculatum', 'Salix lapponum', 'Polytrichum alpinum', 'Lichen polyphyllos', 'Polypodium rhoeticum', and a fructifying 'Lichen fasciularis', some are marked in pencil with a cross. Has sent a specimen of 'Lichen parellus' that may differ from Smith's. A list of plants he has found in the summer. Turnip crop in Norfolk devastated by black caterpillars, has been unable to find the fly that produces them, but [Eleazar] Albin's "A Natural History of the English Insects" relates how a similar blight in 1719 was caused by the 'Ichneumon' fly, which Bryant disputes. The only flies collected from the turnip fields are possibly the 'Tenthredo rosae', sends two specimens for Smith for information and asks which fly Albin's black caterpillar produces.

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN1686

From

Henry Bryant

To

Sir James Edward Smith

Date

21 Sep 1782

Sent from

Heydon, Norfolk

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/2/102, The Linnean Society of London

Language

English

Contributor

The Linnean Society of London[View Ɛpsilon collection]

Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.

• Henry Bryant
• Sir James Edward Smith