150 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
to make known, by drawings and descriptions, (not assuredly, — 
ALL the unpublished or little known botanical productions of — 
Western Asia, which were a work of enormous labour, and ex- 
pense, but) a considerable selection of these species, enlarging 
or limiting my plan as may appear best. Thus I propose to 
unfold a sort of botanico-geographical map, capable of further 
extension, which shall afford a rendez-vous to the researches 
of such savans as already may require, or shall, in future, — 
find occasion, to make use of it. Already I have received —— 
information that M. Boissier,* of Geneva, author of Bote- — 
nical Excursions in the South of Spain, has commenced, at 2 
about the same period with myself, to work upon Aucher 
Eloy's plants; but no person, that I am aware, has yet con- — 
templated making any engravings from them, and the public — 
will be only greater gainers from our common labours. 2 
The nature of my collection excludes; at least for the — 
present, any idea of systematic arrangement into families and — 
genera. A lengthened manipulation, alone, of the plants of 2 
these regions, could justify the offering to the public a me- —— 
thodical enumeration, or Flora of Western Asia, though this 15 — 
the end towards’ which my labours would tend, and this the pus 
object I would fain promote. If unable myself to attain Ib 
I shall, at least, have contributed to facilitate for others the - 
accomplishment of a work which is assuredly a desideratum 
in science. 
Once embarked in this undertaking, I found that?my e e a 
powers were hardly adequate to its requirements, and having — 
. aimed at procuring the help of an experienced and authorised | 
botanist, I was so fortunate as to obtain that of M. Spach, 
 Assistant-Naturalist at the Museum, already well known ur 
his critical writings, and by his having aided M. Mirbel i® - 
the more delicate researches of Vegetable Physiology. Te 
gether, we undertook this work, to the completion of which 
intend, henceforth, to devote all my leisure hours. ` 
The region which we are about to illustrate contains all 
* See London Journal of Botany, vol. 1. pp. 311 & 398. 
