The Rev. Dr. Hincks on the Flora of Ireland, 11 



exertions of the Right Hon. J. Foster, Speaker of the House 

 of Commons, who had long been a zealous promoter of botany, 

 and was considered to be well acquainted with it as a science. 

 In 1801 Dr. Scott was elected professor in the College, and the 

 board which has the direction of the College funds deter- 

 mined on having a suitable garden of their own, and engaged 

 Mr.Mackayas curator, who came to Ireland about 1803 orl804. 

 In 1807 the proprietors of the Cork institution determined 

 on having a garden, and engaged Mr. James Drummond as 

 their curator. Previously to this, Mr. Templeton had a list 

 of 815 species of phaenogamous plants with their habitats, 

 whilst his list of mosses, lichens, fuci, and fungi, was even 

 more extensive in proportion. Thus early too, Miss Hut- 

 chins also had devoted herself to botanical pursuits, and had 

 carefully examined the neighbourhood of Bantry Bay for 

 phaenogamous plants, though her chief discoveries were in 

 the Algae. The county surveys were at this time publishing 

 under the auspices of the Dublin Society, in some of which 

 lists of rare plants were given. It has been objected that 

 the natural history part of these surveys is of little use, but 

 it should be remembered that agriculture and statistics were 

 the chief object, and we may surely ask whether the county 

 surveys of England and Scotland displayed a more accurate 

 knowledge of natural history ? I date 1804 as the period 

 from which Mr. Mackay's labours commenced, and I think 

 I have a right to conclude, not only that the botany of Ire- 

 land was tolerably well known before he came, but also that 

 if a considerable desire of promoting the science had not 

 been previously formed, the parliament, the Dublin Society, 

 and the heads of the university would not have incurred such 

 a heavy expense as to establish two gardens, maintain two 

 professors, and employ two able curators. It v/as not these 

 gentlemen who first formed the taste, but their engagement 

 was the result of its having been already formed. The Dub- 

 lin Society not only had their garden, but they employed an 

 under gardener in going through the country, and enabled 

 their professor to travel in the west, publishing the result of 

 his tour. In like manner the College employed Mr. Mac- 

 kay in visiting the south and west, and the Cork institution 

 sent Mr. Drummond into the west of their county and the 

 county of Kerry. Mr. Mackay's catalogue of rare plants, 

 printed in 1806, and Mr. Drummond's list of the plants of 

 the county Cork, printed in 1810, both at the expense of 

 the Dublin Society, show the result of these missions. It is 

 no reflection on these gentlemen to observe, that having been 

 employed for the purpose, they were able to do more than 



