AND LINN2ZUS’S ‘FLORA ZEYLANICA. 131 
rest of the Banksian collections, into the keeping of the Trustees 
of the British Museum in 1827. Since itcame into the hands of 
Sir Joseph Banks, it has been frequently the object of examina- 
tion. Especially it was very thoroughly gone over by Dryander, 
who, in a copy of the ‘ Flora Zeylanica ’ in the Banksian Library 
(now in the Botanical Department), entered against each species 
references to the volumes and folios of the herbarium where the 
corresponding specimens are to be found. These useful notes 
have much facilitated my examination. Robert Brown, Dry- 
ander’s successor in the charge of the Banksian collections, was 
also in the habit of consulting the herbarium, and frequently 
quotes its specimens. Dr. Wight was unfortunately able to 
consult it only to a limited extent*. Nor should I forget to 
mention that my friend Mr. W. Ferguson, F.L.S., of Colombo, 
when on a visit to England thirty years ago, carefully examined 
the whole collection, and, I believe, possesses copious notes upon 
the plants it contains. 
Hermann’s stay in Ceylon extended over several years, at least 
from 1672-1677, and perhaps a year or two on either side of that 
period. He was called to the Chair of Botany at Leyden in 1679, 
being then only thirty-three years of age. Notwithstanding his 
youth, he held, while in Ceylon, the office of Chief Medical Officer 
in the service of the (Dutch) East India Company. At this 
period the Dutch held most of the coast towns, having wrested 
Colombo from the Portuguese only so recently as 1655 ; but the 
whole interior still remained under the rule of the native Emperor 
of Kandy, at this time the powerful Raja Singha; and it is 
interesting to note that our countryman Robert Knox was under- 
going his long captivity in the interior at the very period of 
Hermann’s sojourn at Colombo. It may be inferred from the 
herbarium, which is a representative one of the environs of 
Colombo, that Hermann neither travelled far from the coast, nor 
had the opportunity of penetrating into any tract of untouched 
forest. 
Besides the herbarium under consideration, Hermann formed 
another whilst in Ceylon, which he sent to J. Commelin at 
Amsterdam. It was from this collection (combined with that 
made by J. Hartog, which was sent from Ceylon to Voss, Curator 
of the Amsterdam Gardens) that J. Burman, Commelin’s suc- 
* Preface to ‘ Prod. Fl. Ind. Or.’ p. x. 
N 2 
