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

• Main Author: Davies, Hugh
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Haller; Hudson; Poa alpina
• Online Access: http://linnean-online.org/61752/; http://linnean-online.org/61752/1/JES-COR-4-13_001.tif; http://linnean-online.org/61752/2/JES-COR-4-13_002.tif; http://linnean-online.org/61752/3/JES-COR-4-13_003.tif; http://linnean-online.org/61752/4/JES-COR-4-13_004.tif

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.