A selection of the correspondence of Linnaeus and other naturalists

by James Edward Smith

After the death of the younger Carl Linnaeus in 1783, the entirety of the Linnean collections, including the letters received by the elder Linnaeus from naturalists all over Europe, was purchased by the English botanist James Edward Smith (1759 1828), later co-founder and first president of the Linnean Society of London. In 1821, Smith published this two-volume selection of the letters exchanged by Linnaeus pere et fils and many of the leading figures in the study of natural history, revealing some of the close ties of shared knowledge and affection that bound the European scientific community at that time. Where necessary, Smith translates the letters into English, with the exception of those written in French, which are presented in the original. The varied correspondents of Linnaeus senior, whose letters appear in Volume 2, include the botanists Johann Dillenius and Bernard de Jussieu, and the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau."

2 pages, Unknown Binding

First published December 31, 1978

About the author

Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828)