479 



poraneous use, he named with the termination oides, com- 

 paring each with some well-known genus, till a proper 

 appellation could be selected, are seldom thus compared 

 because of any natural affinity, nor scarcely any external 

 resemblance, but because they agree with such in their 

 place in the artificial system, or nearly perhaps in tech- 

 nical characters. A great botanist therefore, it is evi- 

 dent, may exist, without that vaunted erudition in a pe- 

 culiar line, which some would have us consider as the 

 only road to knowledge and to fame. We allow that 

 this sort of erudition is now, since the attention it has 

 received from Linnseus, Jussieu, and others, become in- 

 dispensable to a good theoretical or philosophical bota- 

 nist, as is the study of carpology, in consequence of the 

 labours of Gsertner ; we only contend that it is possible 

 to know plants extremely well without either. 



The learned Dryander, less skilled than his predeces- 

 sor as the coadjutor of Sir Joseph Banks, in a practical 

 acquaintance with plants, exceeded him in theoretical 

 lore and ingenious speculation, and far excelled every 

 other man in bibliographic information, as well as in the 

 most precise fastidious exactness relative to every sub- 

 ject within the wide extent of his various knowledge. He 

 furthered, upon principle, and with unwearied assiduity, 

 every object of the noble establishment to which he was 

 devoted ; but he, like Solander, now sleeps with his fa- 

 thers,andhis place is supplied byageniusofBritishgrowth, 

 who unites talents with experience, and theoretical skill, 

 in the most eminent degree, with practical knowledge. 



Although it is almost superfluous to name the most 

 eminent disciples of the London school of botany, it 

 might seem negligent to pass them over without some 

 particular mention. The ardent and ingenious Curtis 

 has left a permanent monument behind him, in the Flora 

 Londinensis, to say nothing of the popular Botanical 

 Magazine, continued by his friend Dr. Sims. The Flora 

 Scotica of Lightfoot first offered, in a pleasing and fami- 



