BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 253 
added the very doubtful mark Sp. invariably followed by a number, 
which does not refer to the page in the ‘Species Plantarum,’ as one 
would suppose, but perhaps means Sparrman. Very frequently one of 
the signs @, 9, €, is added to the specific name, or by itself; no one 
has been able to point out their meaning, for they indicate neither 
locality, donor, nor duration of the plant; though 9 only occurs on 
Siberian plants. All Leefling’s Spanish plants are marked Hisp. Lee. 
followed by a number written on the back of the paper; where are 
also added the diagnoses and descriptions in Linneus's own hand, oc- 
casionally the same as in Spec. Plantar., Flora Suecica, or his other 
Works; though occasionally of older date, and afterwards abridged in 
his publications. There are likewise occasional quotations from the 
Works of other authors, particularly Gmelin's, and also Ray's, Scheuch- 
zer’s, and others. The original of the figures in the ‘ Flora Lapponiea,’ 
are often found among the specimens; indeed most of the plants 
referring to it, especially the Salices, have on the side a number referring 
to that work. Other notes, not Linneus's, may be referred to two dif- 
ferent epochs; one of these comprises slips of paper accompanying the 
Specimens which were sent to Linneus, with names of older authors, 
or new names proposed, or some question propounded; to these Lin- 
neus has occasionally subjoined a remark. The other epoch is more 
recent and originates almost entirely with Sir J. E. Smith, in which 
case they are designated J. F. S.; they consist of orthographic correc- 
tions, the addition of names where they were wanting, some reference 
to Sir Joseph Banks's or Leche's herbarium, some locality in England, 
or the opinion of other botanists, especially Afzelius, ete. 
With respect to the specimens themselves, they have generally not 
been so well selected or preserved as is commonly the case now-a-days, 
though they are rarely in such bad condition as to be entirely unfit to 
afford useful information; but, with these exceptions, there is scarcely - 
one single instance to be found in the whole herbarium of any injury from 
age or careless handling, those universal sources of mischief in such — 
collections. In fact, so carefully and anxiously have these treasures 
been attended to, that there can be no doubt that they are at this pre- 
sent time precisely in the same condition as they were m the poem — 
of Linneus and Sir J. E. Smith. The current supposition, that only — 
a small proportion of the specimens were gathered by Linneus himself, 
is fully corroborated by this recent examination. 
