HISTOEY OF BOTANICAL EXPLOEATION. 119 



therein described ; but more conspicuous evidence of his activity exists in John 

 Martyn's ' Historia Plantarum Eariorum ' (1728-1732), " the most sumptuous and 

 magnificent work of the kind that had ever been attempted in England." In this 

 work are coloured engravings of the genera Gronovia, Milleria, Martynia, and Turnera, 

 various species of Passiflora and other plants, introduced, as we are informed, by 

 Houston. This was just before the publication of Linnaeus's binominal nomenclature; 

 but the Linnean names were subsequently added on a flyleaf at the beginning of the 

 volume. During his short sojourn in the West Indies, from 1728 to 1733, when he died 

 a victim to the climate, Houston drew up a catalogue of the plants he had collected, 

 wrote a treatise on contrayerva, jalap, and other Mexican medicinal plants, and 

 engraved with his own hand analyses of the flowers and fruits of various new genera, 

 after the manner of Plumier *. These engravings passed into the possession of Miller, 

 who sent copies of them to Linnaeus ; and later, after Miller's decease, they were 

 purchased by Sir Joseph Banks, and published by him in 1781 under the title 

 * Reliquiae Houstonian&e.' They mostly represent Mexican plants, and they bear the 

 names given to them by Linnaeus. Houston's dried specimens are in the British 

 Museum. 



In continuing this sketch, it will save space and unnecessary repetition of various 

 particulars if some of the minor collectors are mentioned under those of the first 

 rank of about the same period ; hence that course will be adopted, where practicable. 



Luis Nee. — A Frenchman, naturalized in Spain, and one of the botanists who 

 accompanied Malaspina on his voyage round the world. He was a most indefatigable 

 collector, and was endowed with considerable scientific ability. On the authority of 

 Colmeiro, Nee was the first to make the interesting discovery of the existence of Rhodo- 

 dendron ponticum in the Iberian peninsula. Malaspina's voyage was made during the 

 years 1789 to 1794, and when Nee landed at Cadiz he had made a collection of dried 

 plants estimated at 10,000 species, including 4000 new to science. Like many other 

 fine collections made by Spanish naturalists, it has been permitted to lie at Madrid 

 unused. There were also upwards of three hundred drawings by various artists. 



Thaddwus Hcenke, a Bohemian by birth, was also to have accompanied Malaspina; 

 but he arrived at Cadiz twenty-four hours after the ship had sailed. He followed in 

 another ship, hoping to find Malaspina at Monte Video or Buenos Ayres, failing which 

 he traversed the American continent to Chili, where he fell in with Nee, and the two 

 subsequently botanized together in various parts of the world, including Mexico f. 



* Kees' Cyclopaedia. 



f Presl, ' Reliquiae Haenkeanae,' i. Pref . p. xi, has the following note with reference to the Mexican journey: 



" Mense Novembri profectus est Thaddaeus Haenke solus ad urbem capitalem Mexico, et Deeembri reversus est 

 ad Acapulco. Fructus hujus itineris consistit quinque fasciculis quibus verba : Iter Mexicanum et Plantce 

 Mexicance inscripta sunt." 



