Letter and/or further information available at http://linnean-online.org/62539/.
Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.
Please cite as “LINNEAN467,” in Ɛpsilon: The Linnean Society of London Collection accessed on 9 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/linnean-society/letters/LINNEAN467
Encounters at Sir Joseph Banks' Soho Square home with [Jonas] Dryander, and [Charles] Blagden [(c 1748-1820), physician]. Blagden asked to hear of their visit to Pavia, [Italy], and the chief circumstances in the [Lazzaro] Spallanzani [(1729-1799), physiologist] "business" [probably in reference to accussations levelled at both Spallanzani and Giovanni Scopoli of mismanagement of Univsersity of Pavia museum. Smith was a supporter of Scopoli]. Blagden still sceptical after his account and suspects it a contrived affair of [Alessandro] Volta [(1745-1827), physicist].
Has not seen L'Héritier but told that he is stealing new plants and claiming them as his own, as [Johan Christian] Fabricius is doing in entomology. Fabricius has described 300 species just from [William] Jones' drawings without recourse to the insects themselves. Dined with Fabricius at Dr [Matthew] Baillie's and took him to task over the difficulties of his system, particularly in the examination of minute insects, but dismissed by Fabricius. Dr Grey of the British Museum agrees that Fabricius creates difficulties. Warns Smith against "foreigners, who seem to have their own ends in every thing they do, & who deprive the English of the merit of discoveries with their voluminous publications of what things they find new among us". Fabricius accessed Linnaeus' entomological collection via [Thomas] Marsham, its current possessor, in order to describe all the new insects, and in responding to Linnaeus' descriptions "with his own barbarous words" strengthen his own "feeble" system on the "strong natural foundation" of Linnaeus'. Fabricius left London a week ago "loaded with new things, for we have a wonderful alarcity in giving to foreigners what we will not give to our own countrymen".
Items collected during his time in Italy: gave Marsham several insects including 'Coleoptera' and 'Hemiptera'; possibly found Smith's 'Lampyris' close to Milan, it is 'Lampyris italica' in Banks' collection; his 'Scarabaeus sacer' is actually 'S. variolosus' on account of smoothness of thorax; the 'Chrysomela' given them by [Jacques Anselme] Dorthes at Montpellier is 'C. bankii'; unable to find a name for the insect similar to a 'Tenebrio' found on Mount Vesuvius. Has been associating with Marsham, who has given him about 80 English insects, principally 'Coleoptera' and 'Hemiptera' and some Chinese specimens. Marsham earnest about Linnean Society. Marsham showed him plate for his paper in first volume of "Linnean Transactions" ['Observations on the Phalaena Bombyx Lubricipeda']. Has not yet seen [Samuel] Goodenough, details of his movements. Shown 50 of [James] Sowerby's drawings new Cryptogamia found in last trip to Highlands by [James] Dixon [Dickson], to be possibly published in a new work.
Smith's family is in Chelsea, including his sister Esther. Smith's father to return to Norwich so Francis can meet Smith in Paris. Box of papers Smith addressed to Banks' has arrived safely, including the two bronze figures. Not impressed with Dr Simmons rude behaviour at Soho Square. Asks Smith to procure a print fo Linnaeus for him.
The Linnean Society of London[View Ɛpsilon collection]
Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.