INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. 121 



its plants has been made since the publication of Moon's in- 

 efficient catalogue. Owing to the extent and impenetrability 

 of the forests, some novelties must still remain ; and many of 

 the species, being large timber-trees and dioecious plants, vary- 

 ing abundantly, require skilful analysis and observation in the 

 country. We have already mentioned Burmann's and Lin- 

 nseus's labours. Moon was the first English collector, and 

 curator of the Government Botanical Gardens at Peradenia, 

 near Kandy. His collections (according to Gardner, Lond. 

 Journ. Bot. iv. 397) were extensive and good, and formed the 

 foundation of the Peradenia Herbarium, which is now rapidly 

 acquiring a European fame, through the successive exertions 

 of Gardner and Thwaites, Moon's successors in charge of the 

 garden; and of Major Champion, who resided several years in 

 the island. Moon's plants were never distributed ; but other 

 and most extensive collections have been, of which the follow- 

 ing are the most important: — 1. Macrae's, a collector in the 

 service of the Horticultural Society of London. — 2. Colonel 

 and Mrs. Walker's : these were both extensive and excellent, 

 and were illustrated by many drawings and manuscripts. — 3. 



Major Champion's, alluded to at p. 69. — 4. Mr. Gardner's; 

 abundant and good : these were in part distributed, in part 

 sold after his decease, while a part remain in the Peradenia 

 Herbarium. Gardner has published several papers on Cey- 

 lon plants in the ' Journal of Botany,' and in the f Calcutta 

 Journal of Natural History;' sometimes in conjunction with 



Major Champion. 



Mr. Thwaites, the present able superintendent of the Pera- 

 denia Botanic Gardens, has for several years continued ener- 

 getically the investigation of the flora of the island which was 

 commenced by Mr. Gardner; bringing his great botanical 

 acquirements, skill in analysis, and powers of observing and 



an artificial winter is produced by exposing the root*, and bullocks' blood 

 is used as manure. According to the same authority, the grape also bears 

 well at Tangalle, at the southern extremity of Ceylon, a locality wliieh mu>t 



have a rerj different climate from Jaffna, 



r 



