Five unpublished manuscripts of Johann Reinhold Forster (1729–1798) in the archives of the Linnean Society of London

Abstract

The texts concerned, all in the hand of Johann Reinhold Forster (1729–1798) and hitherto unremarked, have recently been transcribed and translated from the original Latin and have been made freely available on the website of the Linnean Society of London. Together they touch on many aspects of Forster's life and work, comprising a catalogue of North American animals, a fragmentary list of birds from the same area, “Description of 36 animals found during Capt. Cook's 2nd voyage … 1772–75”, a list of insects (British and North American), and a letter to Linnaeus on botanical matters which includes a description of Forstera sedifolia. Together they confirm Forster's impressive range of expertise, both as a naturalist and a linguist, and add weight to the movement that has in recent years sought to re-establish him in his rightful place as a major figure in eighteenth-century natural history.