*28. Natural- Historical CollectioJis. 



pieces, a compound shell, like that of the anatifae, must equally be resolvable, 

 should theory require it, into a single piece. 



Brodie Collections — The scientific attainments of the late J. Brodie, Esq. of 

 Brodie House, are well known, and particularly his attention to botany. This 

 spring his whole library and collections were sold in this town. With regard to 

 the books, it is almost impossible to say where they are now dispersed, nor is it 

 of much consequence, as one copy is of equal importance as to reference as ano- 

 ther. It is different, however, with an herbarium, and we trust we render some 

 service to botanists by having it now in our power to state the nature of Mr. 

 Brodie's herbarium, and where it may in future be consulted. It may be classed 

 as follows : — I. A British Herbarium ; this consists of British Phanerogamous 

 plants and Ferns. The collection is tolerably complete, as far as was known up 

 to 1814; many of the specimens were furnished by 3Ir. T. Mackay, Mr. 

 Sowerby, and Mr. G. Don, and many stations scarcely known for rare plants are 

 affixed. It was purchased by David Stewart, Esq., 1, Gayfield Place, Edin- 

 burgh ; and is to be arranged according to the natural orders. It was formerly 

 arranged according to " Withering," and the " Flora Britaimica." From this 

 herbarium the classes Dicecia and Polygamia of Linnasus, as limited by Smith, 

 had been removed by accident to the following. 2. A Foreign herbarium, com- 

 prehending about 1 200 species of exotic phanerogamous plants, partly from gar- 

 dens and partly wild specimens ; along with it was the genus Atriplex and class 

 Dioecia of the British herbarium ; in Dicecia are about forty species of the genus 

 Salix, from Sir J. E. Smith, and although generally without flower or fruit, 

 may be of considerable use for identifying what are considered dubious species of 

 that author. This collection, along with a few miscellaneous plants from C. 

 Schmidt of Christiana, and G. Don of Forfar, was bought by Mr. Walker 

 Arnott of Arlary, and is to be immediately incorporated, according to the natu- 

 ral orders, with his present herbarium. 3. Musci, now in the possession of D. 

 Stewart, Esq. These were arranged for Mr. Brodie, according to the first edition of 

 the " Muscologia Britannica," by Dr. Hooker, one of the authors of that admi- 

 rable work ; only three species were wanting to complete the series, and these we 

 know the present possessor has in his power to add with most of the new ones in 

 the second edition of the " Muscologia." 4. A tolerably perfect collection of the 

 British species (most of them from Dr. Hooker,) of Hepaticce ; this, with all the 

 following, now belong to Mr. Arnott. 5. British Lichens, upwards of 400 spe- 

 cies. The specimens were partly collected and named by Mr. Borrer, Mr. Turner, 

 Mr. Dickson, and Mr. G. Don, and are to be incorporated by Mr. Arnott, 

 nearly according to the system of Acharius, with another very valuable collec- 

 tion, from the first lichenologist of this day, Mr. Schasrer of Lauperswyl in 

 Switzerland. 6. Algce, the British species belonging to Fucus of Linnasus, were 

 complete and arranged by Mr. Turner's " Synopsis ;" the other tribes are also near- 

 ly complete, as far as the " English Botany" and Dilwyn's " Conferva" serve as 

 catalogues. Of these, many specimens are from Mr. Turner, Mr. Borrer, Sir T. 

 •irankland, (who almost alone could throw light on Hudson's AlgtB,) Mr. Rash- 

 leigh, Mr. J. Woods, Mr. Sowerby, and Mrs. Griffiths ; and the late Mr, Bro- 

 die himself made this tribe his particular study. A very few foreign species from 

 Lord Seaforth and Prof. Mertens are also in the collection. The Algce will be 

 arranged according to Agardh's " Synopsis. We are authorized to state, that 

 Mr. Stewart will permit any botanist to consult the " British herbarium ,•" and 

 ']\Ir. Arnott's herbarium, by far the most extensive and valuable in Edinburgh, 

 as well as his library, have already long been open, and we trust will continue so, 

 to every ardent follower of the " Amabilis Dea." 



