HISTORY OF BOTANY. ae 
presented to the History of Guernsey by his grandson, Thomas 
William Gosselin, Esq.’ 
It requires no very profound study of this catalogue of names to 
perceive that Joshua Gosselin was an acute and painstaking observer, 
and a botanist of no mean ability. That he was personally 
acquainted with Hudson seems almost certain: indeed, it is quite 
likely that he was the original discoverer of /uncus capitatus, although, 
as the plant does not figure in his list, we have no direcc evidence of 
the fact. At this distance of time a few notes on the comparative 
frequency of the different plants would have added immensely to 
the value of the list, which consists merely of bare names; but, 
notwithstanding this deficiency, it is of the greatest interest. 
A careful analysis of the curious obsolete names (occasionally 
the same plant is entered under two or three synonyms) shows that 
no less than 528 species are enumerated, consisting of— 
Flowering Plants... te ar tec, (AG 
Ferns and Fern-allies ae ae era: F 
Mosses a ane me iss ban. || Gir 
Hepaticae ... os a od a 6 
Lichens as a an it ee 
The proportion of non-vascular cryptogams appears small: but it 
must be remembered that comparatively littke was known about 
them a century and a quarter ago; in fact, the British Mosses 
described in Hudson’s -lora Anglica only amount to about one- 
sixth of the number now known, and the Lichens only about one- 
tenth. 
One point in connexion with this catalogue may be noticed. 
According to the title, it was compiled in 1788, but it was only 
published twenty-seven years later, viz., in 1815. What plants, if 
any, were added to the original list during the interval we have no 
means of knowing ; nor is it of any importance, except that possibly 
Gosselin may be credited with recording species which were really 
discovered by some subsequent observer. 
Out of a total of 458 phanerogams enumerated by Joshua 
Gosselin no less than 423 species, or ninety-two per cent., are known 
to have occurred in Guernsey during recent years ; so that thus far the 
general accuracy and reliability of his list are placed beyond question. 
Seven other species were recorded independently by Babington in 
the Alora Sarnica, twenty-four years afterwards, thus leaving only 
twenty-eight species unconfirmed by other later botanists. Happily, 
a large portion of Gosselin’s own herbarium still exists, and is at 
present in the possession of Mr. Edgar Dupuy. I am greatly 
indebted to Mr. Cecil Andrews for taking the pains to go through 
this valuable old collection, and for supplying me with copious 
notes upon it. The specimens are not dated, but most of them 
must have been collected some while before 1788, and their 
