238 



Swartz has found another specimen. He is now 

 engaged in publishing an account of the Junger- 

 mannia of this country on a new system, which will 

 appear shortly, and of which I hope to send you a 

 copy. I wish to engage him in a pocket Flora Tos- 

 cana, in hopes to encourage the same spirit which 

 has so contributed to botanical knowledge at home. 

 Here there is little taste of that kind; for the nobles 

 are not rich enough to purchase science, nor wise 

 enough to esteem it. There are some exceptions : 

 the Princess Corsini has a good collection of plants, 

 as also the Marquisses Feroni and Pucci. Nothing 

 is published here in the way of natural history. At 

 Pisa Mr. Sair has begun a Flora Ftrusca, which has 

 great merit, but advances slowly. It is a rich coun- 

 try in every branch, and deserves to be well known. 



Though I was very ill when I crossed Mount Ce- 

 nis, I collected several rare plants, and I thought of 

 you when I found Cetraria cucullata near the Hos- 

 pice, as mentioned in your Tour. 



My residence in this city has been pleasant 

 enough, particularly since my health is improved, 

 and it is not my intention to leave it before the 

 month of October, when we talk of going to Rome. 



The quantity of English who have been here du- 

 ring the winter has been excessive, though I by no 

 means think it a good place for a delicate constitu- 

 tion at that season. The air is very damp, and I 

 should think bad ; most of the houses in the lower 

 parts of the town having stagnant water under them, 

 and the changes from heat to cold are rapid and se- 

 vere. Violent inflammations are very frequent, and 



