HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. XXXVU 



Linnaeiis's system, but without altering the old descriptive 

 names. Hudson published the earliest independent record of 

 our flora, and with his production we may consider the sexual 

 system firmly established in this country. Next in order of 

 time I must mention the splendid Flora londinensis of William 

 Curtis ; this is noticed in its proper place on page 256. 



The results of the voyage of Sir Joseph Banks with Captain 

 Cook in the Endeavour unfortunately remain in MS., and are 

 hardly likely now to be published as an independent publication ; 

 the death of Solander having occurred before the materials 

 were completely worked up. 



At the death of the younger Linnaeus his entire collections 

 and library, with a few unimportant exceptions, were bought by 

 Dr. (afterwards Sir) James Edward Smith, the founder of the 

 Linnean Society . Smith seemed to fancy that by possessing the 

 Linnean treasures, he thereby held the magician's wand, and 

 his judgment on things botanical to be unassailable. This un- 

 fortunate assumption was the cause of some things in Smith's life 

 and work that are to be regretted, although he published much 

 that was excellent. He was associated with Sowerby in the 

 production of Engikh Botany, issued his English Flora in four 

 volumes, and began Sibthorp's Flora graeca, the Prodromus of 

 that work being entirely due to him. As is well known. 

 Smith's collections now belong to the Linnean Society. 



Many local floras were written during the latter part of 

 the eighteenth century, most of them being descriptive, and 

 often containing critical botany. Although descriptive floras 

 of small tracts of country have at the present day almost com- 

 pletely disappeared, yet the minuteness of observation possible 

 when a comparatively small area is surveyed, is favourable to 

 noticing minute differences of plant-form. 



At the commencement of the present century, although the 

 Linnean system appeared to be followed by the majority of 

 European botanists, yet the influence of a work published in 1789 



