Title:
Albrecht von Haller to Carl Linnaeus
Type:
Image
Licence:
Contact [email protected]
Repository:
The Linnean Society of London
Collection:
Linnaean Correspondence
Reference number:
LC/6/78
Archival level:
Item
Date:
21 December 1737
Placement:
Volume 6: 161-162
Extent:
161-162
Language:
la
Description:
Albrecht von Haller has collected paintings of the Fungi, Musci, Lichenes and all plants within his reach as well as stones and metals to show Linnaeus. Linnaeus contends that Uva ursi is a box-leaved plant, for which the epithet folia carnosa punctata is not suitable. This makes it highly probable that what Linnaeus calls Uva ursi is not Vitis idaea sempervirens. Although Linnaeus’s Pedicularis is very close to Haller’s with a beaked flower, the two plants are different. Linnaeus’s Geum is different, because it has round petals, instead of long and narrow ones. Haller has sent George Clifford his De Pedicularibus and De Veronicis. He has seen many species of Lichen-agaricus. They all have globules full of “pollen”. To these belong many of Pietro Antonio Micheli’s Lichenes exusti. Haller has had nearly 150 Fungi depicted in their proper colours. In many he has noticed seminal pollen of a black, blue or other colour. Haller is studying Linnaeus’s class Tetradynamia and says the genera are difficult and the species confused. All the Siliquosae differ only slightly from each other, e.g. Sisymbrium, Turritis, Eruca, Leucojum, Hesperis. Haller has not got Andrea Cesalpino. The work of Joannes à Turre is of little use. He does not know if the travels of Thomas Shaw and Engelbert Kämpfer have been published. Haller has asked Clifford for seeds and sent him metals, fossiles and dissertations. The recently completed anatomical theatre has been the scene of many dissections. Haller would like to have Swedish mosses and Scandinavian plants. He sends his regards to Nils Rosén von Rosenstein. He also knows a surgeon named Ribe whose father is the physician of the Swedish king.
Sender:
Haller, Albrecht von
Recipient:
Linnaeus, Carl
Transcription:
Summo Botanico, Carolo Linnaeo, S[alutem] p[lurimam] d[icit] A[lbertus] Haller. Diu expectatus nullus adparuisti, cui paraveram lustrandos Fungos pictos, Muscos, Lichenes, stirpium quascunque potui ordinare, lapides et metalla. Hisce Te conveniam tamen et, ubicunque terrarum vixeris, quaeram. Redditus est Tuus fasciculus, ubi humanitatem Tuam adnosco, qui laudibus inmeritis es prosecutus et in specioso opere quasi publicae benevolentiae commendasti. Faciam, facient amici & discipuli mei, ne moriar ingratus. Fecissem aliunde ego, quo certe Tu vix alium habes amicum Tuorum meritorum certiorem admiratorem. Inter stirpes, quae gratissimae fuerunt, cur Uvam ursi adeo certo contendis esse plantam buxifoliam, cui cognomen folior[um] carnosor[um] & punctator[um] adeo non convenit? Probabile admodum documentum, quod alteram, quam Vitem Id[aeam] sempervirentem vocas, Uvam Ursi faciat. Libri ad manus non sunt. Totus in Anatome demergor, sed ita tamen videtur. Pedicularis Tua proxima meae flore rostrato, sed diversa tamen. Geum diversum videtur a nostro petalis rotundis, quae in nostro longa sunt angustaque, &c. Cliffortio misi Tibi destinata exemplaria diss[ertationum] de Pedicularibus & de Veronicis Alpinis. Quas dudum misissem, nisi Te exspectassem. In utraque methodum videbis meae tractationis, sed fusioris & quae conpendio non conveniat. Eadem ratione absolvi stirpium plerasque absolvamque omnes Indigenas. Lichen-Agaricos plurimos detexi hoc autumno variae figurae, sed ubique globuli polline pleni sub cortice quodam ordinati sunt. Ad eos pertinent multi Lichenes exusti Micheliani. Fungos plusculos fere ad 150 pingi curavi coloribus suis. Id opus porro urgebo. Pollinem seminalem in multis observavi nigrum, coeruleum, &c., sed florum Michelianorum nullum unquam vestigium. Si ocium supererit, microscopium admovebo fungis. Versor nunc in Tuis tetradynamiis, ubi & genera difficilia & species confusae sunt. Siliquosae omnes exiliter differunt: sisymbrium, turritis, Eruca, Leucojum, Hesperis, &c. Tuas tentabo partitiones. Caesalpinum nondum reperi, sed habebo mutuum. A Turre mihi emtus est in Italia. Parvi momenti est. Prodiisse Shawii iter aut Kaempferi nondum conperio. Utrumque erit gratiss[imum]. Horto nostro semina petii a Cliffortio. Misi Metalla, lapides atque dissert[ationes]. Tu per occasionem rem commenda Amico Tuo. Structum est hybernaculum. Conseretur hoc vere. Theatrum etiam Anatomicum structum est et haec hyems plurimas habuit dissectiones. Si in Suecia degis, Muscos et Scandicas stirpes, quaeso, collige. Habebis lichenes, muscos, hercynicas stirpes, si lubet. Saluta veterem, licet ignotum, amicum Rosenium, qui ad ampla munia evectus est. Ribbium Chirurgum, filium Medici AuliciRegis vestri, adprime etiam novi. Si occasio faverit, specimen aliquod Societati nostrae mittam. Vale & me porro ama! Gottingae d[ie] XXI Dec[embris] 1737. [address] A Monsieur / Monsieur Linnaeus Docteur en / Medecine et membre de / l’Academie des Curieux / de la Nature
Previous reference number:
L0223
Condition note:
seal tear, prominent seal
