POSTSCRIPT. vii 
The map will especially serve to point out those parts of India from whence the extensive Herbarium of the 
Honourable East India Company,—the fruits of the researches of the last half-century, comprising about 1300 genera 
and 8500 species,—has been derived. After the duplicates of this Herbarium had been liberally distributed through- 
out the scientific world, by the orders of the Honourable Court of Directors, it has recently been presented to the 
Linnean Society of London; and I avail myself gratefully of the permission of the Council of that learned Body to 
publish the following letter and address of thanks which passed on that occasion. 
Letter to the President of the Linnean Society. 
. aL S * East India House, 19th June, 1832. 
“My Lon», 
« The Court of Directors of the East India Company have within the last four years caused to be distributed to 
various bodies in this country and in Europe, interested in the promotion of science, between 7000 and 8000 species 
of plants collected by celebrated naturalists in the Company's service, during a series of years, in India. 
** The objects being attained for which the originals of these specimens have been placed with Dr. Wallich in Frith 
Street, the Court of Directors feel that this Collection may not be an unacceptable addition to the Museum of the 
Linnean Society of London, which already possesses the Herbarium of the celebrated Linneus. We have therefore 
the honour, at the instance of the Court of Directors, and in the name of the East India Company, to proffer, through 
Your Lordship, for the acceptance of the Linnean Society, the Collection in question: and should the Council of the 
Society be pleased to give effect to the intentions of the Court, the necessary directions will be given to Dr. Wallich 
to transfer the Collection to the party who may be authorized by the Council to receive the same. 
** We have the honour to be, 
** My Lord, 
** Your Lordship's most obedient humble Servants, 
(Signed) “ JoHN G. RAVENSHAW, 
“ To the Viscount Stanley, M.P.” ** C. MARJORIBANKS." 
Address presented to the Honourable Court of Directors. 
« The Council of the Linnean Society having had a Letter laid before them by the President, addressed to his 
Lordship by the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Court of Directors of the East India Company, in which 
that Honourable Court have been pleased to offer for the acceptance of the Society the extensive Collection of dried 
plants preserved in the Museum of the India House, take the earliest opportunity of expressing their high sense of the 
distinguished honour conferred upon the Society by this unexampled act of liberality. 
“ The Council, in behalf of the Society, accept with feelings of profound gratitude the Collection thus proffered to 
them, and beg to assure the Court that it shall be held as a trust for the general benefit of science. 
“ The Council cannot avoid expressing their admiration of the enlightened policy shown by the Honourable Court 
of Directors, with relation to their collections in natural history, in extending the advantage to be derived from them, 
by the most liberal distribution of specimens throughout the scientific world, and by this memorable instance of their 
munificence, in placing the fruits of the labours of Kónig, Roxburgh, Róttler, Russell, Klein, Hamilton, Heyne, 
Wight, Finlayson, and Wallich, along with those of the immortal Linneus. 
« The East India Company, by extending its patronage to those distinguished naturalists who have cultivated 
science in Asia, so much to their own honour and to the credit of the service to which they belonged, and by the 
generous use of the rich materials in its possession, has deeply impressed the members of every learned institution 
throughout Europe and America with feelings of admiration and respect: and the Council of the Linnean Society 
