George Don, Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, to James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk]

Sends several copies of prospectus [for his work "Herbarium Britannicum" (1804-1812)], a sheet explaining his method for choosing habitats, preferring those not hitherto published by any author, and a magazine containing account by Mr Neil of the life of [John] Mackay [(1772-1802), employed at Dickson nursery, Edinburgh], errors with list of plants. Numbered observations on enclosed specimens: 1. 'Lycopodium annotinum' of Linnaeus; 2. 'Erica vulgaris'; 3. a 'Galium' or 'Asperula' [Smith annotation: "'G. palustre' caule & pedunc. scabris"]; 4. a nondescript 'Saxifraga' he previously called 'S. tinctoria'; 5. a 'Draba' related to 'D. verna', cultivated 10 years [Smith annotation: "'verna'?"]. Has heard from [John Leonard] Knapp that he has found the 'Aira ulginosa' he [Don] sent Smith some years ago