"iO 



iNTRonrcTioisr. 



about 8000 sp. and only knew 3000 well, now 

 we know about 5000 Genera and 100,000 spe- 

 cies; yet we yearly increase their number. 

 Those who have mainly enlarged our knowledge 

 of Genera, were chiefly in North America, Mi- 

 chaux, Pursh, Nuttal, Elliot, Bosc, Hooker, 

 Torrey, Beck, Kunth, Llave and Legarza. — In 

 South America, Aublet, Mutis, Dombey, Ruiz, 

 Humboldt and Bonpland, Poiteau, Swartz, Spix 

 and Martens, Molina — In Oceania or Polynesia 

 and Australia, Forster, Labillardiere, R.Brown, 

 Commerson, Thouars, Cunningham, Thunberg 

 — In Asia, Pallas, Clarke, Fischer, Ledebour, 

 Hamilton, Walich, Roxburg, Forskahl, Lourei- 

 ro — In Africa Desfontaines. Delille, Caillaud, 

 Bruce, Schousboe, Palissot, Thunberg, Afzelius 

 — and in Europe Waldstein, Jaquin, Sibthorp, 

 Allioni, Viviani, Tenore, Brotero, Gilibert, Bi- 

 vona, Gussone, «>k.c. — These worthy laborers de- 

 serve our thankful gratitude: and it has been 

 properly deemed that every word they have set 

 down in their icritings is of real value ; such 

 actual observers alone mainly increase the range 

 of Science; Researches in Gardens, Herbals 

 and Libraries only come next: I am at least one 

 of them, if no more, and I belong to both hem- 

 ispheres. 



Another Class of Botanists by publishing col- 

 lections of splendid botanical figures, have af- 

 forded many materials; but their costly works, 

 whose figures and descriptions do not always 

 agree, are often beyond common reach. Such 

 are Jacquin, Ventenat, Delille, Labillardiere, 

 Oeder, Sibthorp, Lheritier, Catesby, Redoute, 

 Ruiz and Pavon, Curtis, Sims, Ker, Andrew, 

 Lindley, Hooker, Cavanilles, Tenore, Humboldt, 

 Delessert, Roxburg, &c. 



