52 



of Berlin with that of Paris, and one or other of these with the 

 Banksian or Lambertian herbaria, — no degree of certainty can be 

 expected ; and from the increase of extensive private unverified col- 

 lections, the science must labour under a heavy disadvantage in the 

 consequent accumulation of synonyms. If Sieber had identified the 

 plants gathered by him in Crete and Egypt with many of those pre- 

 viously collected by Sibthorpe and Desfontaines, much doubt would 

 have been removed ; and if the late travellers in Brazil, Prince 

 Nieuwied, Auguste St. Hilaire, Martins, and Pohl, had compared 

 their treasures before describing them, many useless synonyms would 

 never have existed. To travel from one herbarium to another, and 

 to carry about, in the memory only, the characteristics of doubtful 

 species, may well be found an almost impracticable task ; and the 

 confusion to which such an attempt is apt to give rise may be seen 

 exemplified in one of our latest large botanical works. To decide 

 upon plants which we have not seen, and only know from an erro- 

 neous diagnosis or imperfect description, is like a blind man judging 

 of colours : " Ilfaut voir, dit Vaveugle." 



Besides the Linnaean herbarium. Sir J. E. Smith has a large col- 

 lection of plants of his own formation, which is especially rich in the 

 productions of New Holland and Nepaul. The worthy Professor 

 Wallich at Calcutta, whose health has lately suffered from an Indian 

 climate, has greatly contributed towards the latter. The Linnsean 

 specimens, as well as Sir James's private herbarium, are very well 

 preserved ; and after the old plan, which is now seldom followed on 

 the continent, they are fastened down on a folio sheet of paper, and 

 washed over with a solution of corrosive sublimate. Sir James has 

 also under his care the plants of Sibthorpe, to aid him in the publi- 

 cation of his Flora Graca, which is now nearly completed. 



Among the papers of Linnaeus, their present possessor found a 

 number of copies of two pamphlets by this illustrious man, which do 

 not appear to have been ever published. One of them bears the 

 title of" C Linncei Observationes inRegnum Lapidum," and contains 

 a view of the mineral kingdom, so far as it was known at the time 

 of its being printed : the other is intitled " Orbis eruditi Judicium 

 de Caroli Linrmi, M. D. Scriptis." Both fill a complete sheet of 

 letter-press. Sir James was so kind as to give a copy of each to 



