Henry Reeve, Scott's Lodge, 15 College Street, Edinburgh, to James Edward Smith, Surrey Street, Norwich, [Norfolk]

Summary

Intends to publish a thesis on animal hibernation, comments and queries: complains that many authors on it are inaccurate; has compiled information from [John] Hunter [(1728-1793) surgeon], [Peter Simon] Pallas, [Daines] Barrington [(1727-1800) lawyer and naturalist], [Johann] Gmelin, [Bernard Germain de] La Cepede [(1756-1825) naturalist], [John] Gough [(1757-1825) natural and experimental philosopher], [Georges-Louis Leclerc] Buffon [(1707-1788) naturalist], and others; asks if the dissertations on hibernation listed in Sir Joseph Banks' "Catalogu[s bibliothecae historico-naturalis]" vol 2 p449 include observations on animal temperatures etc.; proposes to observe hedgehogs. Asks if there are anatomical differences, including in the omentum, of swallows, martins and other birds which supposedly hibernate. Asks if the annual migration of birds is a "well-established fact" in light of swallows and others being found torpid in winter, concludes it sometimes does occur but thinks it impossible for birds to live underwater. Has not yet learnt whether fish hibernate.

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN3250

From

Henry Reeve

To

Sir James Edward Smith

Date

16 Dec 1802

Sent from

Edinburgh

Sent to

Norwich, Norfolk

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/8/85, 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.