Edmund Davall, Orbe, Canton de Berne, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London

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Ref No GB-110/JES/COR/14/6
Title Edmund Davall, Orbe, Canton de Berne, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London
Letter date 5 May 1789
Author(s) Edmund Davall 1763-1798
Number of Pages 4

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GB-110/JES/COR/14/6 from Edmund Davall, Orbe, Canton de Berne, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London (5 May 1789)

Metadata for GB-110/JES/COR/14/6 from Edmund Davall, Orbe, Canton de Berne, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London (5 May 1789) Close

Item data

Item Type: Document
From: Davall, Edmund
Sent from: Orbe, Switzerland
To: Smith, Sir James Edward
Sent to location: London
Summary:

Flights of 'Ampelis garrulus'; received shot specimen of 'Oriolus galbula'. Examined insect 'Hister quadrimaculatus', thinks it rare. Has specimen of 'Ribes alpinum' for Smith; 'Astragalus monspessulanus' coming into flower in garden. Thinks the 'Thilco' in Feuillée's "Description of the medicinal plants of Chili & Peru" (1709) is 'Fuschia coccinea'. Pleased Smith is figuring 'Sonchus alpinus' in his first fasciculus ["Icones plantarum"]; found '[Sonchus] canadensis' in his garden. Will send specimen of [Albrecht von] Haller's 1338. Wishes François [Borone, Smith's assistant] to put aside as many plants for him as possible.
[Jean Louis Antoine] Reynier [(1762-1824), botanist] should be expelled from Linnean Society "as an arrogant & foolish enemy of Linnaeus"; [Jacob] Wyttenbach, [Berthout] Van Berchem and others in Switzerland despise him for his manner during sale of his herbarium, and he is now renaming plants. Will send specimen of 'Carex tomentosa'. Praises [James] Sowerby's artistry. Leaves definition of 'Choenopodium polyspermum' to Smith. Has one specimen of the 'Hypenica'. Has a pair of chamois horns for Smith. Thanks for Sir Joseph Banks' fruits for Wyttenbach. Apologises to [Joseph] Jacquin for almost naming the [Nikolaus] Jacquin's 'Draba stellata', 'Draba saxatilis'. L'Heritier spoke to him about 'Spartium' and Swiss flora though Davall is shamed by Smith's report of his behaviour. Hopes print his work at Berne rather than Lausanne.

Letter date: 5 May 1789
Languages: English
Prev Ref No: 14.9
Additional Information:
Note typeNote
AdditionalSmith replied 2 Jul [1789]
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.
Publn NoteSmith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 2, pp.13-14.
Related MaterialFor Smith's letter of 24 April 1789, to which this is a reply, see JES/COR/14/5. For Smith's reply of 2 Jul 1789, see JES/COR/14/8. Feuillée, L E, (1715). "[Journal des observations ... vol. 2.] (Histoire des plantes medicinale ... du Perou & du Chily ...); Journal des observations physique, mathematiques .." Paris: Giffart. Smith, J E, and Linnaeus, C, (1789-1791). "Plantarum icones hactenus ineditae, plerumque ad plantas in herbario Linnaeo conservatas delineatae." Londini: Impensis Benj. White et Filii.