Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Gwyn, Nicholas
Sent from:
Ipswich, Suffolk
To:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Summary:
Asks after Sir Joseph [Banks'] rules in regard to a Latin quotation, having disfavourably compared the [Christian Gottlob] Heyne's edition of Tibullus recommended to him with Broukhuyse. Wishes to borrow third volume of [Linnaeus'] "Amoenitates", requests seeds of 'Hesperis verna'. Has [René Antoine Ferchault de] Réaumur's [(1683-1757) French scientist] "Methode d'éclore des oeufs" ["Method of hatching eggs"]. Wishes to see [Carl Alexander] Clerck's [(1709-1765)] work on insects ["Svenska spindlar"]. Would like Smith's translation of Linnaeus on the sexes of plants and Smith's translation and notes of [Lazzaro] Spallanzani [(1729-1799) Italian biologist]. Asks Smith to look at aphorisms in Linneaus' manuscript notes he might have occasion to quote. Reminds Smith of talk of producing a new edition of "Philosophia botanica". Numbered extracts on plants, in Latin. States importance of natural history artists representing nature "justly", in reference to [George] Edwards' [(1694-1773) artist and ornithologist] "[Gleanings of] Natural History". Recommends using balloons to observe the nests and eggs of tropical birds considering Sir Issac Newton's observations on visually distorting effects of the atmosphere when using telescopes.
Letter date:
20 Feb 1786
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
5.43
Additional Information:
| Note type | Note |
|---|
| Related Material | Linnaeus, C, (1756). "Amoenitates academicae; seu dissertationes variae, physicae, medicae, botanicae, antehac seorsim editae, nunc collectae et auctae cum tabulis aeneis." Holmiae: Sumtu & literis direct Laurentii Salvii, 3rd volume.
Clerck, C A, (1757). "Svenska spindlar ... Aranei svecici, description ibus et figuris aeneis illustrati ..." Stockholmiae: Literis Laur. Salvii.
Linnaeus, C, and Smith, J E (tr.) (1786). "A dissertation on the sexes of plants. Translated from the Latin of Linnaeus." London: George Nicol for the Author.
Linnaeus, C (1751). "Philosophia botanica in qua explicantur fundamenta botanica cum definitionibus partium, exemplis terminorum, observationibus rariorum, adjectis figuris aeneis." Stockholmiae: Apud Godofr. Kiesewetter.
Edwards, G, (1758-1764). "Gleanings of natural history, exhibiting pictures of quadrupeds, birds, insects, plants etc ...." London: Printed for the Author at the Royal College of Physicians. |
| Finding Aids | Dawson, 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. |
| Additional | Smith replied 30 Mar [1786] |
