63 
if you can, what fly Albin’s black caterpillar really 
produces. 
Henry Bryant. 
Mr. James Edward Smith to his Father. 
Honoured Sir, Edinburgh, Dec. 31, 1782. 
Our Natural History Society goes on increasing. 
I believe we shall have four annual presidents 
chosen; if so, I hope to be one of them. I have 
just given in a paper on the Phenomena of Vege- 
table Odours, which was well received. I have 
spoken often in the Medical Society. I am to 
have Dr. Hope’s medal, but ’tis not yet come from 
London. There were no other collections given in 
besides mine; it has been examined, and thought 
worthy ; indeed Dr. Hope paid me very high com- 
pliments upon it. 
January 3, 1783. 
I have just been at the funeral of an acquaint- 
ance, whose death gives me great concern: he was 
the son of Dr. Reid of Glasgow, author of a cele- 
brated work on the human mind; he was a young 
man of the first abilities and accomplishments, but 
of the greatest modesty and diffidence. I had flat- 
tered myself with the hopes of being intimate with 
him; this was his first winter here, and we have 
been much together. He is the last of a numerous 
family, who have all died about the same age, just 
entering into life. His father bears it like a phi- 
losopher. I cannot help comparing him to a vene- 
