WILUAJI IJAWSON, LATK OV LEEDS. 147 



early period of flowering mentioned by him. The plants in Mr. Dawson's 

 list are under the nomenclature of Ray, which, however, are here altered for 

 the modern names, except in those instances in which the accuracy of the 

 discrimination of species is likely to be a matter of question. The accom- 

 panying account of the herbarium alluded to, may possibly be interesting to 

 some of ovir readers. 



This Herbarium, which is now in the Mechanic's Institute at Ripon, con- 

 sists of four large vols, folio, — three of these evidently belonging to one set, 

 and containing plants, named, and with references to synonyms taken from 

 the last edition of Ray's Synopsis. The hand-writing is that of Mr. Dawson, 

 and the plants mostly correctly named : in those instances where this is not 

 the case, either a confusion of names, or the absence of a correct discrimina- 

 tion of species in books, will account for the differences. 



The plants follow the arrangement of the Synopsis ; commencing with 

 Fungi, {Sponges and Corallines,) Algae, Musci, Lichenes, Equiseta, &c., flow.er- 

 ing herbs, and lastly grasses, sedges, and ti'ees, or shrubs. They are all 

 placed on half sheets of a stout white paper, to which they are gummed, and 

 have the name, &c., at the side ; but usually without any localities assigned. 

 They seem mostly to be collected by Mr. Dawson himself, as in the other 

 Herbarium, the specimens of which are frequently from tlie collections of 

 other botanists, this fact is stated, as well as the locality. The separate 

 half sheets are placed between large leaves of coarse blue paper, of Avhich 

 the book is composed. 



The other Herbarium consists of but one whole bound volume ; it is 

 larger than the other volumes, and is, like them, labelled on the outside 

 " Hortus Siccus." Although the arrangement is much the same as in the 

 three vol. Herbarium, the specimens are not unfrequently the communica- 

 tion of friends ; among whom may be mentioned Dr. Richai'dson, attached 

 to Woodsia hyjyerborea, and other si)ecimens ; and under a specimen of 

 alchemilla alpina, we are informed, that the "plants marked with the 

 letters H. E.," (and they are numerous,) " I received from James Sherard, 

 a botanist of the first order, July 15th, 1737;" and there are, accordingly, 

 several plants named, and with synonyms, &<;., on strips of paper, in Sherard's 

 own hand-writing. A specimen of campanula hederifoUa is " from Dr. 

 Dillenius." There are also various specimens marked as gathered by " Mr. 

 Dawson," which might lead to the supposition that this Herbai'ium origin- 

 ally belonged to a friend of Mr. William Dawson. It is, however, probable, 

 that either some relative is meant, or he thus designates himself; seeing 

 that the hand-writing is the same as that of the other Herbarium, and the 

 intei'leaved copy of Wilson's Synopsis. It contains native specimens of 

 several very rare British plants ; as, Cypripedium calceolus. Orchis hircina, &c , 

 and of several then recently noticed species ; as, Woodsia liyperhorea, Centun- 

 culus minimus, &c. A Herbarium containing both Cryptogamic and Phanero- 



