the late Sir J. E. Smith. ^ 



is perhaps the most perfect specimen existing, — a work of which 

 it has been said, by no mean authority, that it is worth study- 

 ing, as well from its logical precision, as for its botanical infor- 

 mation. 



One quality for which Sir James was efninently distinguish- 

 ed, was that of patient investigation ; and to a naturalist what 

 more important requisite can be mentioned ? In the field of his 

 immediate inquiry, he laboured with indefatigable application ; 

 and that these labours did not extend to every part of botany, 

 is only to say that the faculties and powers of man are limited. 

 That his studies were chiefly directed to Phenogamous botany, 

 arose from the feeling, that his qualifications and advantages 

 fitted him chiefly for this department. He knew the able and 

 indefatigable labourers who were employing themselves par- 

 ticularly in the field of Cryptogamic botany, and, occupied as he 

 was, neither his time or strength admitted of his extending re- 

 searches into that wonderful and daily opening field. I would 

 humbly beg leave to suggest the importance of this subject to our 

 young students, and especially to those engaged in natural his- 

 tory. Extended as the bounds of human science now are, it 

 is utterly impossible for any one to obtain deep and sound 

 knowledge in many of its departments. General views of all 

 may be obtained ; but no one can expect eminence for profound 

 knowledge, except he select one department on which to con- 

 centrate his attention and his application, — one to which he 

 feels his own inclinations and his qualifications to be the best 

 adapted. Then the student may look forward to the hope of 

 being known as an original inquirer, and may look to the dis- 

 tinction of discovery ; and many whose powers would have been 

 well adapted to such condensed application of them, weaken 

 and dissipate those powers by embracing too wide a field. I 

 have heard Sir James say, that he never wrote a single de- 

 scription, every part of which he had not verified by his own 

 observation, where it was possible to do so. A remarkable in- 

 stance of this accuracy was evinced by his description of the 

 difficult genus Saliw, He had all the known species collected 

 in Mr Crowe's garden at Norwich, where he studied them 

 for nine years, under all their different appearances and stages 



