BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 53 
with a much more limited collection than that of Padua, 
but in very good condition. The Museum consists of a 
large collection of seeds, of a few old Italian Herbaria nearly 
destroyed by time and worms, and of Bertoloni's own 
herbarium. Of this the most important part is the rich 
and beautifully arranged ** Herbarium Flore Italie,” a very 
extensive authentic collection with every specimen very 
carefully labelled in correspondence with his Flora and other 
works. If all botanical authors were equally careful in pre- 
paring for future consultation the specimens from which they 
had worked, the value of their labours would in general be 
much enhanced and always better appreciated. 
Bertoloni possesses also a general collection ; amongst others 
an extensive one from Alabama received from Dr. Gates,many 
of the plants are now describing in his (Bertoloni's) Miscellanea 
Botanica, and one from Mozambique, chiefly officinal plants, 
mostly in excellent specimens belonging to the younger Ber- 
toloni and about to be published. Unfortunately, the want 
of a sufficiently extensive library and general herbarium 
renders the publication of exotic plants at Bologna a diffi- 
cult and not always a satisfactory labour. 
Florence, on the contrary, is remarkably well provided i in 
this respect, as well as in many things connected with science, - 
literature and art. The private library, formed by the Grand _ 
Duke, and opened with great liberality to the use of men 
of science, is particularly rich in botanical works, including 
most of the costly works with plates published in England, 
France and Germany. The copy ofthe Flora Græca is the 
only complete one in Italy. The herbarium attached to the — 
Museum of Natural History in the Grand Ducal Palace is — 
rich in South European plants. Amongst exotic ones, it 
contains Raddie's Brazilian plants, and considerable exten- 
sion is now given to it by purchases from modern i oe 
lectors and other means. It is being well arranged, u: 
the direction of Professor Parlatore, on paper nearly : as ) 
and as stiff as what we generally. use; but a great 
is eae: Sect the us are pieds ow 
