Linnaeus has received the gifts from Domenico Vandelli and, on the previous day, also the letter of 15 October 1760{L2800}. Linnaeus has not answered earlier, since he wanted to have all his answers ready and in good order, but now he has seen that he could not delay an answer any longer, in order not to be considered ungrateful.
Linnaeus has heard that there had been discussions in Spain about offering a professorship after José Ortega, who had died. Linnaeus does not see how he could establish a proper garden there, and it is quite certain that he has not received an official call.
Linnaeus thanks Vandelli for his work opposing Albrecht von Haller, whom he considers to be an enemy to everybody [Linnaeus refers to the rejection of Haller’s “De partibus corporis humani sensilibus et irritabilibus” made by Vandelli in the third section of his Tractatus de thermis Agri-Patavini]. Vandelli is quite as eminent as Haller, as can be seen from his earlier works.
Linnaeus thanks Vandelli very much for the good description of the Ulva. He will use it in the next edition of Systema naturae [the next edition was Systema naturae, 12th edition].
Linnaeus is pleased that Vitaliano Donati will be able to continue towards Arabia, where also a pupil of Linnaeus’s [Pehr Forsskål], is going on orders from the King of Denmark [Fredrik V]. Linnaeus has received some seeds from Donati’s unfortunate companion Roque [Linnaeus means Bartolomo Giambattista Ronco] in Alexandria, and they have germinated and given nice plants.
The insect that attacks people and cattle in Lapland is a new genus called Furia infernalis by Daniel Solander [described by him in 1778, “Furia infernalis”]. Linnaeus gives a simple picture of the insect.