6 MAIITIUS ON THE BOTANY OF BRAZIL. 



old species and old genera inaccurately detailed. The genus 

 adopted is often extended beyond all bounds ; thus for ex- 

 ample, as species of Mimosa, not only Mimosce and Acaci<s 

 occur, but also Swarfzia. The pompous title of this book 

 runs thus: " Petro nomine ac imperio primo Brasiliensis 

 Imperii perpetuo defensore imo fundatore scientiarum artium 

 litterarumque patrono et cultore jubente Florae Fluminensis 

 Icones nunc primo eduntur. Edidit Dom. Frat. Antonius da 

 Arrabida, Episcopus de Anemuria, Csesareae Majestatis a 

 Consiliis, nee non Confessor, Cappelani maximi Coadjutor, 

 studiorum Principum ex imp. stirpe Moderator et imper. 

 publicseque Bibliothecse in urbe Fluminensi Praefectus. Paris 

 ex offic. lithogr. Senefelder, curante E. Knecht. 1827." 



(This is really a literary curiosity, and is not unknown to 

 many of our botanists in Britain, who have been tempted to 

 purchase it; often, if my memory does not fail me, for a sum 

 in Paris scarcely exceeding £3 sterling, an amount which is 

 trebled and quadrupled by the duty and binding. The fol- 

 lowing is a brief historical notice of this work given by Von 

 Martius in a note, and many of the particulars we have 

 heard verified through other channels.-^ Ed.) 



Vellozo had undertaken the preparation of this work with 

 but little literary aid, and he had annexed to his drawings 

 short characters of the genus and species. It was not then 

 his intention that it should be published in this state. But 

 when Don Pedro, in 1824, saw the first number of Dr Mar- 

 tius' " Nova Genera et Species," he exclaimed, " is it so, that 

 foreigners must come in order to describe our plants ; cannot 

 we do this ourselves ?" He then took the advice of his father 

 confessor, and it was deterpnined that the whole of the draw- 

 ings that Vellozo had left should be lithographed in Paris, 

 and the text for it printed in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian 

 Embassy was hence charged to make a contract with Sene- 

 felder for the lithographing and printing* a thousand copies, 



* The Editor of the " ladtx Iconorum Mores Fluminensis" which has 

 since been published in Paris, gives, and \vc siioukl think upon jrood autho- 



