BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 125 
added his praiseworthy charity towards the poor; and if there were, 
indeed, some shadowy points in his character, they are attributable, in 
a degree, to some literary selfishness, which made him a little jealous of 
the merits of those around him. My dear friend Esper, among others, 
experienced the effect of this failing. Again, it was not without an 
effort, that he could persuade himself to return specimens which had 
been confided to him for his examination. I was, myself, once in the 
unpleasant predicament to act on an occasion of this nature, in behalf 
of my literary friend Meyer, apothecary to the court at Stettin; nor 
was it until threatened with legal proceedings that the Surinam her- 
bariums, which had been lent to Schreber, could be recovered. It was 
Schreber who originated the Botanie Garden at the “ Nürnberger 
Thor,” enriching it with numerous additions, which his zealous corre- 
spondents supplied. But his botanical gardener, Riimmelein, had con- 
stantly to complain of the oddity and obstinacy of Mr. President; and 
occasionally relieved himself from so onerous a surveillance, by distri- 
buting, behind the back of the director, specimens of many a rare plant 
among the students, who repaid him, not simply by admiring the beau- 
tiful flowers, but by presents in hard cash. In his capacity of professor 
of natural history he had all the collections in that department under 
his charge. The museum was above the anatomical theatre, where 
Schreber gave his lectures. None but distinguished foreigners had 
ever access to this sanctuary. Now, in order to make the museum 
available for his lectures, Schreber had recourse to the pounder in my 
dispensary, whom he employed to convey the specimens required into the 
theatre (these lectures, too, were delivered in the forenoon at 11 o'clock). 
But this troublesome business, and the awkwardness of Mr. President, 
caused much breakage. After the lecture, the subjects had to be taken 
upstairs again ; on which occasion the professor kept an anxious watch 
at the entrance to the museum. One of my assistants, Gaupp of Kauf- 
beuern, whom I had afterwards to instruct in the ars amandi, to 
qualify him to become proprietor of the Star Dispensary at Nürnberg, 
got it into his head, from curiosity or thirst after knowledge, to try his 
luck, by availing himself of the moment when the specimens were carried 
back. Gaupp was standing modestly, his hands folded on his back, 
at the folding-door of the museum, admiring the curious array of 
natural rarities. Suddenly the President came up to him: “It is 
twelve o'clock ; your soup might get cold,” he said, and slammed the 
