Hugh Davies, Aber, Bangor, [Gwynedd], to James Edward Smith, Norwich, Norfolk

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Ref No GB-110/JES/COR/4/13
Title Hugh Davies, Aber, Bangor, [Gwynedd], to James Edward Smith, Norwich, Norfolk
Letter date 23 Feb 1799
Author(s) Hugh Davies 1739-1821
Number of Pages 4

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GB-110/JES/COR/4/13 from Hugh Davies, Aber, Bangor, [Gwynedd], to James Edward Smith, Norwich, Norfolk (23 February 1799)

Metadata for GB-110/JES/COR/4/13 from Hugh Davies, Aber, Bangor, [Gwynedd], to James Edward Smith, Norwich, Norfolk (23 February 1799) Close

Item data

Item Type: Document
From: Davies, Hugh
Sent from: Aber, Gwynedd
To: Smith, Sir James Edward
Sent to location: Norwich, Norfolk
Summary:

Thanks Smith for naming genus ['Daviesia'] after him. Refers to 'Festuca ovina' as a viviparous plant noticed by Linnaeus and presents several other viviparous plants he has found : 'Phleum pratense' in Anglesea and observed by [Albrecht von] Haller [(1708-1777) naturalist]; 'Aira caespitosa' on sides of Snowdon; 'Poa aquatica' in Yorkshire; 'Poa alpina' on Snowdon; 'Poa annua' on Snowdon, also sent to William Hudson; and 'Cynosurus cristatus' in Anglesea, offers to send specimens, each name has a tick against it made by Smith, except 'Poa alpina' which has a circle. Unsure what genus 'Agrostis minima' belongs to, having compared a late flowering one collected by [Benjamin] Stillingfleet [(1702-1771) botanist] on a tour of Wales and an early flowering one found by himself in Anglesea. Does not agree with [Jonathan] Stokes' [(c 1755-1831) botanist] assertion in [William] Withering's "Botanical Arrangement" that it is a 'Poa'. Surprised that the 'Avena stirgosa' has so long eluded the knowledge of botanists. Will send specimen of 'Sisymbrium monense'.
Subjoins a copy of the letter that accompanied the shells of about 120 species he sent to the Linnean Society, some are listed: those collected in order to ascertain species mentioned in [Thomas] Pennant's "British Zoology" but absent in [Johann Friedrich] Gmemlin's [(1748-1804) naturalist] "Systema Naturae"; and to prove other species to be British that were omitted by [Emanuel Mendez] da Costa [(1717-1791) botanist]. His findings were communicated to Hudson for "Fauna Anglica" but lost in the fire that destroyed Hudson's work.

Letter date: 23 Feb 1799
Languages: English
Prev Ref No: 4.18
Additional Information:
Note typeNote
Finding AidsDawson, W R, (1934). "Catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of The Linnean Society - Part I. The Smith papers: The correspondence and miscellaneous papers of Sir James Edward Smith", London: Linnean Society.
Related MaterialFor Davies' complaint of 29 January 1799 that shell collection he sent to Linnean Society has not been acknowledged, see JES/COR/4/12. Withering, W, Stokes, J, (1787-1792). "A botanical arrangement of British plants" 2nd ed., Birmingham: Robinson. Pennant, T, (1700). "British Zoology" London: B. White. Linnaeus, C, Gmelin, J F, (1788-1793). "Systema naturae per regna tria natuirae" Lipsiae: Georg Emanuel Beer.