BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 117 
** Paris, Nov. 1839. 
** Since I came here, I have been chiefly occupied in col- . 
lecting materials and notes for my memoir on the Legumi- 
nose, at the Herbarium of the Jardin des Plantes, of which, 
during late years, the importance as well as accessibility have 
been much increased. The Herbarium is now lodged in a 
large and handsome building ; the central part, a fine room, 
is appropriated to the mineralogical collection, one wing to 
the library, and the other to the botanical collection. The 
latter portion is divided into two floors; the ground floor 
contains the fruits, models, &c., and especially a very fine 
selection of woods, which have lately been procured at great 
pains and expense from various parts of the world, together 
with specimens that serve to identify them. The arrange- 
ment of this department is now proceeding under the special 
and active superintendence of M. Adrien Brongniart. On 
the first floor is the Herbarium; the principal room is devoted 
_ to the general herbarium, and is lighted from above: around 
it are eight or ten small apartments appropriated to special 
Floras. The present plan is to deposit all the unique speci- 
mens in the general herbarium, but to endeavour to obtain 
duplicate sorts also, by aid of which geographical collections, 
or herbaria of the most important botanical regions, may be 
formed. If well followed up, which can only be effected in 
a large public establishment, this scheme must prove highly 
serviceable to persons who are at work on the Floras of any 
particular country—a case which frequently occurs. There is 
besides a good working-room, well lighted and furnished with 
plenty of tables, the whole kept remarkably clean and neat, 
With even a degree of elegance exhibited in its polished floors, 
&c. Jussieu is at the head of the establishment, where, 
however, he is not often seen, as he works at home, and his 
business lies chiefly in the office of the Administration. 
.. Gaudichaud, Guillemin, and Decaisne, have the more imme- 
diate management of the establishment, and a young man is - 
employed as an assistant for the mechanical] operations. - : * 
Amongst the botanists who often come there, is Boiginew "e i ue 
