. country and in Europe, interested in the promotion of science, between 700 
/, that this collection may not be an unacceptable addition to the Museum 
the celebrated Linneeus. We have therefore the honour, at the instance of 
PREFACE. xvii 
charge of the botanical establishment at Madras: contains a great num- 
ber of duplicates——Herb. Wight. 
“7, Several collections, forwarded by Dr Wallich to the Company’ s 
museum, and including a vast number of duplicates. They will be re- 
ferred to in the manner heretofore adopted." 
Notwithstanding the great personal exertion made by Dr Wallich, 
and assistance he had procured from others, his leave of absence, al- 
though prolonged by the Company, proved too short for the accom- 
plishment of his gigantic undertaking: the List concludes with No. 7683, 
and yet it contains few Rubiaces, scarcely any Grasses, no Euphorbia- — 
cee or Sapindacez, and almost no Asclepiadez or Terebinthacez. The 
Asclepiadez have been since arranged and named by one of the authors 
of the present work, but the other orders mentioned are deposited and 
remain almost untouched with the Linnean Society of London: it is; 
however, to be hoped that Mr Brown, who, we understand, undertook 
the elaboration of the Graminez and Rubiacez, will ere long accomplish 
their examination ; and our friend Dr Roeper of Bale, who was request- | 
ed by Dr Wallich to describe the Euphorbiacee, is, he informs us, quite _ 
ready to commence so soon as a collection is laid aside and sent him - 
for that purpose. 
It is difficult throughout whether more to admire the indefatigable 
and disinterested assiduity of Dr Wallich, or the liberal decisions of the 
East India Company : the latter, not contented with what had been al- 
ready done by them, after the distribution was accomplished so far as - 
Dr Wallich's time would permit, concluded by presenting to the Lin- - 
nean Society the entire magnificent collection laid aside for their own _ 
museum: but we cannot refrain from inserting in this place the letter on 
the occasion from the Honourable the Court of Directors to the Viscount i 
Stanley, President of the Society. 
- © My Lon», East Invia House, 19th June 1832. z 
** The Court of Directors of the East India Company have, 
within the last four years, caused to be distributed to various bodies in thi 
and 8000 species of plants collected by celebrated naturalists in the Com 
pany's service, during a series of years, in India. 
.. © The objects being attained for which the originals of these specimens ^ 
have been placed with Dr Wallich in Frith Street, the Court of Directors feel 
of the Linnean Society of London, which already possesses the herbarium of 
. the Court of Directors, and in the name of the East India Company, to prof- 
. fer, through your Lordship, for the acceptance of the Linnean Society, the 
collection in question ; and should the Council of the Society be pleased to 
: ra effect to the intentions of the Court, the necessary directions will be gi- 
