Catalogue of Archives and Manuscripts Collections | National Library of Scotland | NLSMSS | Manuscript of ‘Ane Essay Relating to the Natural History of Scotland by way of Supplement to the Prodromus Naturalis Historae Scotae published anno 1684’ in the hand of Sir Robert Sibbald.

Scope and Contents

The manuscript contains, for the most part, discourses on natural history and scientific and medical phenomena found in Scotland, taken from manuscript and printed sources.
Accounts taken from printed sources include ‘Philosophical Transactions’, ‘Description of the Islands of Orkney’ and ‘Large Description of Galloway’. Manuscript sources include letters and extracts of letters to Sibbald from Dr George Garden of Aberdeen and Matthew MacKaile, an Aberdeen apothecary.
At the end of the volume are copies of reviews of several of Sibbald`s publications and writings (page 493).
Bibliography
‘Philosophical Transactions’.
Wallace, James. ‘Description of the Islands of Orkney’ (Edinburgh, 1693).
Simson, Andrew. ‘Large Description of Galloway’ (Edinburgh, 1823).
Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.
Custodial History

The manuscript was bought by the Advocates’ Library at the sale of Sir Robert Sibbald’s books, February 1723.

Manuscript of ‘Ane Essay Relating to the Natural History of Scotland by way of Supplement to the Prodromus Naturalis Historae Scotae published anno 1684’ in the hand of Sir Robert Sibbald. Edit