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

Item data

Ref No GB-110/JES/COR/14/13
Title Edmund Davall, Orbe, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London
Letter date 25/29 Jan 1790
Author(s) Edmund Davall 1763-1798
Number of Pages 6

See full metadata

See comments

Collection home page

Actions (login required)

Edit Item Edit Item

GB-110/JES/COR/14/13 from Edmund Davall, Orbe, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London (25 January 1790)

Metadata for GB-110/JES/COR/14/13 from Edmund Davall, Orbe, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, 12 Great Marlborough Street, London (25 January 1790) Close

Item data

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

Afraid to tell Smith of his marriage lest he thought him "a deserter of the good cause"; tells Smith about his wife.
Botanical queries: is there a good figure of true 'Carex saxatilis'; is the true 'Bromus pinnatus' of L.Fl. the 'Bromus pinnatus' of [William] Hudson; when will Smith publish his volume of "Obs[ervationes] Bot[anicae]"; when is fifteenth edition of "Systema Vegetabilium" published. Intends to send Smith the drawings for his work, though fears it will not be complete before Smith finishes his "Systema Vegetabilium". The young [Albrecht von] Haller [(1758-1823)] and [Jacob] Wyttenbach disapprove of his proposed title "Illustrationes Hall.", proposes "Florilegium Helveticum" instead. Berne booksellers wish to reprint [Abrecht von] Haller's [(1708-1777)] "Historia Stirpium" and have requested Davall's plates; [Werner de] Lachenal [(1736-1800)] declines to edit it as he wishes to keep his discoveries for his own "Flora Helvetica".
Criticises [Nikolaus von] Jacquin's "wretched" figure of 'Arenaria liniflora' in "Collectanea" vol 2. Asks for [James] Dickson to respond to his questions on cryptogamia. Sent Smith 'Lichen cucullatus' and seed of 'Geranium pusillum' for William Curtis, and 'Stellaria biflora' of Linnaeus and 'Stellaria cerastoides'. Has specimen of extremely rare 'Sisymbrium tanacetifolium' for Smith. Requests permission to quote Smith's work on 'Sonchus [alpinus]' and 'Stellaria dichotoma'. Longs to study coloured plates of 'Limodorum', 'Tankervilli', and 'Strelitzia', and for [James] Sowerby to copy Miss Lee's drawing of 'Protea mellifera'. Comments on Jacquin's figure of 'Senecio sarracenicus' and 'Senecio nemorensis' in "Flora Austrica". Seeds of 'Hieracium alpinum' for Smith, discusses this plant with reference to [Carlo] Allioni and [John] Lightfoot and degradation of colour in herbarium specimens including 'Trifolium incarnatum'. Difficulties with 'Chenopodium' and discrepancies with Haller. Offers to send paper with drawings on 'Gentiana pedunculata' for Linnean Society, discusses its flower and similarities to 'Swertia carinthiaca' with five small ink sketches. Will send 'Carex tomentosa'. Asks after Smith's ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum..."] and [Richard] Salisbury's ["Icones stirpium rariorum..."]. Thinks that Wyttenbach "should stick to his minerals" after sending Smith 'Stellaria cerastoides' for 'Cerastium alpinum' to Smith, and the same to himself as 'Arenaria multicaulis'. Small sketch in ink of his newly made herbarium cabinet in the same style as Smith's; ambitions for his collection. Indebted himself £600 in setting up his library.

Letter date: 25/29 Jan 1790
Languages: English
Prev Ref No: 14.24
Additional Information:
Note typeNote
Related MaterialFor Smith's letter of 17/24 November 1789, to which this is a reply, see JES/COR/14/11. For Smith's replies of 9 March 1790, see JES/COR/14/15, and 25 April 1790, see JES/COR/14/18. Oeder, G C, and Oeder, G C, (1825). "Icones plantarum sponte nascentium in regnis Daniae et Norvegiae, in ducatibus Slesvici et Holsatiae, et in comitatibus Oldenburgi et Delmenhorstiae: ad illustrandum opus de iisdem plantis Regio jussu exarandum, Florae Danicae, ... (Volumen quartum & quintum editae ab Otto Frederik Muller, Volumen sextum editae a Martin Hendriksen Vahl, [ . XXXI editae a Jens Wilken Hornemann].); Florae Danicae." Havnia: Mollerus etc. 1764-92. Linnaeus, C, and Murray, J A (ed.), (1774). "Systema vegetabilium secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum charcteribus et differentiis." Gottingae et Gothae: Typis et Impensis Jo. Christ. Dieterich, 13th ed. Haller, A v, (1768). "Historia stirpium indigenarum helvetiae inchoata. Tomus primus (-tertia) ..." Berniae: Sumptibus Societatis Typographicae. Jacquin, N J F v, (1786-1796). "Collectanea ad botanicam, chemiam, et historiam naturalem spectantia... (Supplementum...)." Vindobona: Wappler. Jacquin, N J F v, (1773-1778). "Florae Austriacae, sive plantarum selectarum in Austriae Archiducatu sponte crescentium, icones..." Viennae Austriae: [printer:] Kaliwoda. Smith, J E, (1790-1793). "Icones pictae plantarum rariorum descriptionibus et observationibus illustratae auctore Jacobo Edvardo Smith. - Coloured figures of rare plants ..." London: [privately]. Salisbury, R A, (1791). "Icones stirpium rariorum descriptionibus illustratae." Londini: [printer:] Bulmer.
Publn NoteSmith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 2, pp.23-28.
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.
AdditionalSmith replied 9 Mar 1790 & 25 Apr 1790