| Reference number | Title | Date |
| MM/21/59 | Letter from James David Forbes to Williams & Morgate | 4 December 1864 |
| MM/4/41 | Letter from James David Forbes, Edinburgh, to General Sabine | 21 March 1857 |
| MM/10/179 | A formula for 'the law of decrease of heat in the atmosphere as we ascend above the surface of the earth' by James D Forbes | 1 July 1834 |
| MM/16/138 | Letter from James D Forbes, Athenaeum, to Sir John Herschel | 11 June 1850 |
| MC/14 | Volume 14 | 1885-1888 |
| IM/001492 | Forbes, James David | nd |
| MC/2/130 | Letter from James David Forbes, Plymouth, to Dr. [Peter Mark] Roget, [Secretary of the Royal Society] | 1 July 1834 |
| RR/2/163 | Referee's report by James David Forbes, on a paper 'On the descent of glaciers' by Reverad Henry Moseley | 12 June 1855 |
| RR/1/174 | Referee's report by James David Forbes, on a paper 'Nouveau faits à ajouter à la theorie de la chaleuret à celle de l'evaporation' by Pavet | 12 July 1843 |
| MS/257/2/163 | Letter from James David Forbes, Fettercairn to Edward Sabine | 9 August 1845 |
| MS/426/343 | Copy letter from C R [Charles Richard] Weld, the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to J D [James David] Forbes, Esq | 7 November 1848 |
| MS/426/349 | Copy letter from C R [Charles Richard] Weld, the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to Prof J D [James David] Forbes | 22 November 1848 |
| MS/426/433 | Copy letter from S [Samuel] Hunter Christie, Secretary of the Royal Society; to Dr Lloyd; to [George Biddell] Airy; to Sir D [David] Brewster; to J [John Frederick William] Herschel; to Prof [James David] Forbes; W H [William Hallowes] Miller; Baden Powell; and Dr Thewell | 16 November 1850 |
| MS/257/2/167 | Letter from James David Forbes, Edinburgh to Edward Sabine | 10 March 1849 |
| MM/16/137 | Letter from James D Forbes, Athenaeum, to Sir John Herschel | 4 June 1840 |
| MS/426/360 | Copy letter from C R [Charles Richard] Weld, the Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to J D [James David] Forbes, Edinburgh | 4 January 1849 |
| EC/1832/23 | Forbes, James David: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| PT/30/13 | Paper, 'Illustrations of the viscous theory of glaciers, Part III' by James D [David] Forbes | 10 January 1845 |
| PT/30/12/5 | Plate, figure 3 showing the position of a theodolite in relation to Les Echellets by James D [David] Forbes | July 1845 |
| PT/30/11/3 | Plate, figures 3-4 showing relation of ripple marks to channel of gutter in Pisa by James David Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/12/3 | Plate, figure 1 showing a topographical sketch of the Mer de Glace by James D [David] Forbes | July 1845 |
| PT/30/12/4 | Plate, 'Mark on les Echellets' by James D [David] Forbes | July 1845 |
| PT/30/11/7 | Plate, 'Glacier of La Gria or Bourget' by James David Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/11/1 | Manuscript, 'On the viscous theory of glacier motion. Part I. Containing experiments on the flow of plastic bodies, and observations on the phenomena of lava streams' by James D [David] Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/11/5 | Plate, figures 6-7 showing the direction of a stream of lava and cracks within the lava by James David Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/11/2 | Plate, figures 1-2 showing a model for testing effect of friction on plastic masses by James David Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/12/1 | Manuscript, 'On the viscous theory of glacier motion, Part II. An attempt to establish by observation the plasticity of glacier ice' by James D [David] Forbes | July 1845 |
| PT/30/11/4 | Plate, figure 5 showing dislocation of lava in Fossa della Vetrana by James David Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/11/6 | Plate, figure 8 showing lava curving around a rock by James David Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| PT/30/12/2 | Plate, figures A and B showing glaciers shaped by friction and contraction by James D [David] Forbes | July 1845 |
| MC/2 | Volume 2 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1832-1838 |
| RR/1/71 | Referee's report by Henry Holland, on a paper 'On the temperatures and geological relations of certain hot springs, particularly those of the Pyrenees; and on the verification of thermometers' by James David Forbes | 17 June 1836 |
| MC/2/83 | Letter from James David Forbes, London, to James Hudson, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society | 13 May 1833 |
| MC/4/112 | Letter from Samuel Hunter Christie, [Secretary of the Royal Society] The Common, Woolwich, to Charles Richard Weld, [Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society] | 16 December 1845 |
| PT/30/12 | Paper, 'On the viscous theory of glacier motion, Part II. An attempt to establish by observation the plasticity of glacier ice' by James D [David] Forbes | July 1845 |
| PT/22/4 | Letter, additions to paper titled 'Note relative to the supposed origin of the deficient rays in the solar spectrum; being an account of an experiment made at Edinburgh during the annular eclipse of 15th May 1836' from James David Forbes to J G [John George] Children | 13 December 1836 |
| RR/1bis/15 | Referee's report by James David Forbes, on a paper 'On the use of the barometric thermometer for the determination relative heights' by James Robert Christie | 27 April 1846 |
| MS/257/1/240 | Copy of part of a letter from John Allan Broun, Makerstoun, Kelso to James David Forbes | 18 March 1843 |
| RR/1bis/19 | Referee's report by James David Forbes, on a paper 'On the diurnal temperature of the Earth’s surface, and the discussion of a simple formula for ascertaining the same' by S M Drach | 23 May 1842 |
| AP/36/13 | Paper, 'Remarks on the Rev H [Henry] Moseley's theory of the descent of glaciers' by James D [David] Forbes | 21 May 1855 |
| MS/257/2/165 | Letter from James David Forbes, Fettercairn to Edward Sabine | 20 October 1845 |
| MS/257/2/162 | Letter from James David Forbes, Fettercairn to Edward Sabine | 2 August 1845 |
| MS/257/2/164 | Letter from James David Forbes, Fettercairn to Edward Sabine | 18 August 1845 |
| MS/257/2/170 | Letter from James David Forbes, Melrose to Edward Sabine | 24 July 1849 |
| MS/257/2/169 | Letter from James David Forbes, Athenaeum to Edward Sabine | 10 June 1849 |
| MS/257/2/160 | Letter from James David Forbes, Edinburgh to Professor [Arnold Henry] Guyot | 16 March 1841 |
| MS/257/2/168 | Letter from James David Forbes, Athenaeum to Edward Sabine | 9 June 1849 |
| MS/257/2/166 | Letter from James David Forbes, Edinburgh to Edward Sabine | 1 February 1848 |
| MS/257/2/171 | Letter from James David Forbes, Phesdo by Laurencekirk to Edward Sabine | 29 August 1850 |
| MS/257/2/161 | Letter from James David Forbes, Edinburgh to Professor [Arnold Henry] Guyot | 28 April 1842 |
| MS/257/2/172 | Letter from James David Forbes, Edinburgh to Edward Sabine | 30 June 1856 |
| PT/30/11 | Paper, 'On the viscous theory of glacier motion. Part I. Containing experiments on the flow of plastic bodies, and observations on the phenomena of lava streams' by James D [David] Forbes | 26 February 1845 |
| RR/1bis/21 | Second referee's report by James David Forbes, on a paper 'On the diurnal temperature of the Earth’s surface, and the discussion of a simple formula for ascertaining the same' by S M Drach | 10 May 1843 |
| PT/74/3/29 | Graphs, projections of errors of Troughton's and Crichton's thermometers by [James David Forbes?] | [1836] |