NOTE ON PRIMULA SINENSIS. 427 



throughout the article in Bot. Mag.) in 1879, from whom Hance 

 received a specimen which is now in the National Herbarium, and 

 later by Dr. Henry and the Abbe Delavay. Sir Joseph's summary 

 of the earlier history of the plant in cultivation in this country is 

 interesting and fairly complete, but we have in the British Museum 

 some authentic material bearing on the subject, to which it may be 

 well to call attention. 



The drawing by which Primula sinensis was first made known 

 was one of those sent from China by Mr. John Reeves in 1819. 

 The history of this valuable collection of drawings, which is now 

 in the Botanical Department of the British Museum, with such 

 information as to Reeves as I was able to obtain, was given in this 

 Journal for 1894 (pp. 298, 298) : the following extract from the 

 description accompanying the plate of P. sinensis in Lindley's 

 Collectanea (t. 7 ; 1821) adds a little to what was there printed : — 



"It was determined by the [Horticultural] Society that a person 

 should be employed in making drawings of plants in the countries 

 where they grow. For several reasons China was selected for a 

 beginning ; and particularly as being the residence of John Reeves, 

 Esq., a corresponding and very active member of the Society, under 

 whose immediate superintendence the draughtsman could be placed. 

 By the direction of this gentleman, a considerable number of drawings 

 have already been sent to England, and many of the plants they 

 represent introduced. Among those which were received in the year 

 1819 was a drawing of what appeared to be a very handsome 

 gigantic species of Primula, accompanied by dried specimens which 

 confirmed the general accuracy of the figure. The attention of the 

 Society was so strongly attracted by its beauty, that it was im- 

 mediately ordered to be sent home. Seeds and a plant were 

 accordingly procured at Canton by Mr. Reeves ; but the latter 

 unfortunately perished during its passage, and the seeds, of which 

 there was an abundance, did not vegetate. Captain Reeves has, 

 however, been subsequently more fortunate ; having succeeded in 

 bringing a plant over alive, which he presented to his relation 



Thomas Palmer, Esq., of Bromley, Kent A superb drawing 



has been made from the plant for the Horticultural Society by Mr. 

 Hooker,* of which the Council has most liberally allowed us to 

 avail ourselves, with the approbation of Mr. Palmer." 



It would appear that the drawings sent home by Reeves were 

 his personal property : none are now to be found at the Horti- 

 cultural Society, t and there can be little doubt that the figure of 

 P. si7iensis in the Museum is that referred to in the above extract, 

 as it bears at its foot a note in Lindley's hand : — " specimen at 

 Hort. Soc." In the Banksian Herbarium there is a specimen sent 

 to Brown by Reeves apparently a year earlier than the drawing 

 referred to, as it is written up by Brown, " China, Mr. Reeves, 1818." 



* William Hooker was artist to the Horticultural Society (see Journ. Bot, 

 1886, 51) ; the details of the plate of Priviula in Collectanea are among the 

 large number of the original drawings for that work lately acquired by the 

 Botanical Department. 



t See Journ. Bot. 1894, 298. 



