209 
Report on the Dried Plants collected by M. Spruce in the neighbour- 
hood of Para‘ in the months of July, August, and September, 
1849 ; dy GEoncE BENTHAM, Esa. 
This collection, réceived in January 1850, and distributed to the 
subscribers in February, consisted of about 270 species of Phænoga- 
mous plants, and 76 Ferns. A large proportion, however, were only 
sent in single specimens, or in very small numbers, and many of the 
subscribers’ sets contain less than a hundred species. When Mr. Spruce 
left England he had as yet but very few names on his subscription list ; 
and he was still further deterred from collecting very largely at first, 
by the fear, that whilst tropical vegetation was still new to him, he 
might displease his supporters by remitting too many common coast 
plants. He has, however, retained a complete series of all he has sent, 
so as to be enabled on future occasions to complete the sets of all such 
as have proved on examination to be of sufficient interest. For this 
purpose a named list has been returned to him, with the exact number 
of specimens distributed of each species ; and as he is now aware that 
the list of his subscribers is considerably lengthened, and as he is, 
moreover, in a far more interesting country, it is to be expected that 
his next remittances will admit of a much more extended distribution. 
His specimens are in general as instructive and as well-preserved as the 
best collections received from the moist tropical districts of America. 
The extracts from Mr. Spruce’s letters, inserted at p. 65 of this 
volume, give the particulars of the localities visited in making the 
collection, and the specimens having been distributed with ‘names, 
a general list would here be superfluous. The following notes relate 
only to such of them as appeared to call for special remark, with 
characters of the most marked among the new species. In their 
arrangement, the order so generally adopted as most convenient, that 
of De Candolle, with some slight modifications, is here followed, and 
cannot be too strongly recommended to all collectors and enumerators 
of collections, until some other be proposed so decidedly better, as 
that its advantages may counterbalance the inconvenience of departing 
from one in such general use. 
Of Anonacee, so rarely wanting in collections from eastern tropical 
America, there are no specimens. Among Myristicee, now more. 
sae associated with Anonacee than with Laurinea, there : are 
VOL. 2E 
