10 The Rev. Dr. Hincks on the Flora of Ireland. 



Society in Dublin ; of the rare plants of Waterford, Cork, 

 and Kerry, the three most southern counties, by Dr. Charles 

 Smith, whose accuracy is admitted, and communications to 

 the lists of How, Merret, and Ray, of the most remarkable 

 plants that had yet been found in the country. We have 

 now to inquire what progress was made in Ireland after 1780, 

 and previous to Mr. Mackay's labours. In 1785, the Lecture- 

 ship on Botany in the University was changed by Act of Par- 

 liament to a professorship, and annual courses of lectures 

 were made imperative. Dr. Edward Hill, who had been 

 lecturer, was the first professor, and continued to fill the 

 chair till his death in 1801. I have not heard any cha- 

 racter of his lectures, but it is reasonable to suppose that 

 the increasing love of botany, which led to the change in the 

 College, and to other circumstances, must have originated 

 with him. Be this as it may, we find Dr. Robert Scott, who 

 was afterwards his successor, Dr. Wade, Dr. Young, a fellow 

 of Dublin College (afterwards bishop of Clonfert), an emi- 

 nent promoter of science, Dr. Whitley Stokes, Fellow of Dub- 

 lin College, and now Professor of Natural History in it, Mr. 

 Blashford, a barrister, and others, adding every now and then 

 new contributions to the Flora. At this time the late Mr. 

 Templeton turned his attention to botany, and in 1 793 had 

 actually laid out that garden, known to all the botanists who 

 have visited Belfast ; that garden in which he made the in- 

 teresting experiments on raising plants in the open air, pre- 

 viously found only in conservatories, communicated to the 

 Royal Irish Academy in 1799; that garden which to this 

 day is a monument of his zeal, his skill, and of that attach- 

 ment to botany with which he inspired his family. In 1 792, 

 Dr. Brinkley came to Ireland as Professor of Astronomy, 

 and he was an ardent botanist ; Dr. Barker made out a list 

 of the plants of his native county, Waterford, Mr. Tighe 

 of those of Kilkenny; and the illustrious Robert Brown, 

 being at Deny for some time previous to his going to New 

 Holland, not only carefully examined that county, but ex- 

 tended his researches to the county of Donegal. All the gen- 

 tlemen whose names I have mentioned were in communica- 

 tion with Mr. Templeton, and he was urged by most of them 

 to undertake the Flora of Ireland, with a promise of assist- 

 ance. In the meantime Dr. Wade published his Flora of 

 the county Dublin in 1794. About the year 1800 the 

 Dublin Society established a professorship of botany, which 

 was filled by Dr. Wade, and began the Glasnevin garden, 

 having Mr. Underwood for their first gardener. The par- 

 liamentary grant for this purpose was procured chiefly by the 



