G 
aud shortly after, this gentleman publislied the same accoimt, 
with important additions, in the Miscellaneous Notices of the 
‘ Botanical Register whence copious extracts ajipeared in nume¬ 
rous papers and journals. Nevertheless, that able botanist had 
to acknowledge, that the specimens in the possession of the Geo¬ 
graphical Society, from which his generic aud specific character 
(aided by Schomburgk s coloiured drawings) had been drawn 
up, were ill a \ery decayed condition, owing to the manner in 
which^ they had been packed. They were, however, he says, 
botanically examinable; and such he has proved them to be i)y 
the accuracy of his descriptive character, aud by the correct 
result at which he arrived, viz., that the / ictoria is tridy and 
generically cUstinct from Earyale, which in its similar habit, infe¬ 
rior germen, and the prickly nature of the foliage, petioles, pedun¬ 
cles, and ovaries, it so completely resembles, that, as has been 
previously observed, both Poeppig and Guillemin unhesitatiimly 
referred it to that genus. 
Still it is obvious that, as far as the public was concerned, Avith 
the exception of individuals versed in scientific Botany hardly 
any one could be gratified with the sight of a figure, and still 
lewer with that of a specimen of this Avonderful production The 
lormer was only known in the portfolio of the ‘ London Botanical 
Society , Avhere Ave believe the original drawing, made by Sir R. 
^chomburgk, is deposited, along with a letter* addressed to that 
body, and piibhshed by Mr. Gray in the 22nd vol. of the ‘ Mai;- 
azine of Zoology and Botany (Edinburgh, 1838, i). 440 )’• also 
by the twenty-fiA^e copies of the beautiful, but unpublished plates 
ot Dr Lindley, above mentioned; to Avhich Ave must add a splendid 
pnvate delineation of the plant, of the natural size, placed in the 
alcove of a greenhouse at Chiswick, Avhich has more than once been 
thrown open to public aw by the noble proprietor, on the days 
of the Horticultural Society s fetes; whde, with regard to spc- 
cimens actually none existed, save the imperfect ones already 
But before proceeding to speak of the fortunate circumstances 
which gave us possession of specimens, and with them the power 
of representmg tins noble plant, it is only right to mention what 
the Irench botanists have wntten upon the subject. Dr. Lind- 
» badertlietiUeof‘•Dr.Eobt.H.Scliombarglc’steription of FictoriaBeaina 
Gray : but unaccompanied by any botanical defimtion.’^ Dr. Lindley's snccifir 
'f. wT"- in'* PabUshed in a very eSv nSw 
of the Botanical Register for 1838 while Sir. Grav’s name » » number 
m a later number of the ‘ Magazine of Natural HisJv ’ for the^^e yea^ 
