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from the German, and kindly communicated to us by our liberal 

 friend, and the friend of science at large, Mr. Hunnemann ; and 

 which letter contains the latest information on the subject. We 

 shall merely add, that we are daily, and almost hourly, in expectation 

 of the arrival of our share of the collections, for 1827. 



Preliminary Notice. 



To the Members of the Travelling Union for promoting Natural 

 History ; and an Invitation to Botanists as well as Mineralogists, 

 to contribute their Subscriptions for 1828. 



About the middle of this month the copious and valuable collection 

 of objects of Natural History, particularly in reference to Botany, 

 made by Mr. Fleischer, during his travels in the Levant, chiefly in 

 the vicinity of Smyrna, and from whence he has just returned, has 

 arrived in safety; and also the first part of a similar collection, 

 made during last summer in the island of Sardinia, by Mr. Miiller, 

 another of the travellers. 



Besides a great variety of seeds and other objects of natural history, 

 there are now lying ready for distribution to the subscribers of 1827, 

 about 40,000 specimens of plants from these countries, hitherto but 

 little visited by naturalists. But the Union consisting at present of 

 116 members, by whom 145 shares have been subscribed for, the 

 arrangement of the shares will require so much time, as to prevent 

 the distribution from taking place till the month of March, 1828. 

 However, we may venture to anticipate that every member will feel 

 fully satisfied with the result of this year's travels, — from two to 

 three hundred perfect and well-dried specimens of plants from those 

 distant countries ; and for such of the individuals as have subscribed 

 for other objects, a corresponding variety of insects, seeds, 8cc. con- 

 stitutes an ample dividend for every single subscription of 15 florins 

 (30 shillings sterling). 



In soliciting all the members of the Union to transmit their sub- 

 scriptions as early as circumstances will permit, in order to aflbrd 

 greater scope to the further enterprizes of the Union, we beg leave 

 to present here a more detailed statement of the plans intended to 

 be pursued for 1828, viz. : — 



1. Mr. Miiller, who remains in Sardinia, will continue to make 

 collections there ; and his increased acquaintance with the nature of the 

 country is likely to render his researches more and more successful. 



2. Some friends of the Union will collect for its members the 

 Flora of the Southern parts of Africa, at the Cape : a portion of 

 which collection, intended for the year 1828, containing from six 



