Papers of David Skene: correspondence: Letter from David Skene to John Ellis Letter from David Skene to John Ellis in which he remarks that he is pleased with the collection of species made by Pallas but displeased with the way in which he has treated those who have 'much more merit in the subject than himself'; he believes that Linnaeus has laid himself open by misunderstanding the book; he criticises some of Pallas' work; he remarks that he is much entertained by the various opinions surrounding the real nature of zoophytes; he has sketched out a paper on this subject which he will send to Ellis when finished for Ellis' opinion; he discusses in detail the potential animal nature of corallines and sertularia and asks if anything has been made of Munkhausen's experiment; the plates of insects he wanted are for himself and he would not grudge 5 guineas if they were good; he asks him to pick up a copy of Borlase's 'Natural History of Cornwall' (1758), 17 March 1768. 17 March 1768