NOTICES OP BOOKS. 31 



Netherlands. He communicated his scientific treasures, in a manner 

 the most generous, and often even prodigal and imprudent, to his fel- 

 low-naturalists and scientific connections, leaving to his true friends the 

 bitter regret of not having seen him publish himself the discoveries and 

 precious observations he had made, by which he would have illustrated 

 his name, and at the same time have raised a monument to the honour 

 of the Netherlands. 



■ 



" However here, as in the Indies, the researches which Dr. Keiuwardt, 

 by his instructions, had commenced, were continued with activity. We 

 cannot without injustice pass over the important services rendered with 

 zeal and perseverance by many naturalists, who, after Dr. Reinwardt, 

 have studied the history and nature of our Indian possessions, and by 

 others, to whom their occupations left all the leisure desirable to devote 

 themselves to scientific researches, and to make known to the learned 

 world their own studies or those of Dr. Reinwardt, often without even 

 noticing the name of their author. The view of such an injury, the 

 pressure of numerous public functions, the approach of old-age, must 

 have contributed to distract Dr. Reinwardt from the execution of a 

 great work, of which he had commenced the compilation on a large 

 plan, and of which the manuscript is in my hands. 



After Dr. Reinwardt's decease, in March, 1854, his family resolved 

 to offer the King all his scientific heritage, that is to say, his herbarium, 

 notes, drawings, etc., on the condition that they should be placed in 

 the Academical Collection of the Botanical Garden, with the care of 

 which I am entrusted. At the same time they expressed a desire that 

 I would publish all in these collections that should be found worthy of 

 being published, either for the advantage of science, or to commemorate 

 the merits and labours of this meritorious naturalist. 



" On the proposition of the Minister of the Colonies, Mr. I\ Meyer, 

 His Majesty the King has been pleased to entrust me with this honour- 

 able task. 



<c 



<< 



I propose, then, first to publish, and in this work, the plants that 



Reinwardt discovered during 



researches 



and publications of other botanists. When we reflect that Messrs. 

 Bennett and Kobert Brown have still recently published the plants 

 which Dr. Horsefield discovered in the Island of Java at the commence- 

 m»..t nf this *,„turv. we shall not be surprised that the discovers 



