460 South American Botany.—Potatoe. 
SOUTH AMERICAN BOTANY. 
It was some time ago stated in the accounts received from 
New Granada, that the whole, or the greatest part, of the results 
of the botanical researches of the celebrated Mutis, carried on 
at the expense of the Spanish Government for more than forty 
years, in one of the finest regions of South America, had been 
recently destroyed amidst the conflicts of contending armies, and 
considerable regret was excited in the breasts of scientific men 
on account of so irreparable a loss. We have, however, the sa- 
tisfaction to announce, that the whole, with the exception of a 
few indices and partial descriptive catalogues, have arrived safe 
at Madrid, and are now deposited at the Botanical Garden, in 
charge of Professor Gasca, who very kindly showed the series of 
drawings to a gentleman lately arrived from Spain. They were 
executed in the most beautiful style, on the spot, chiefly by South 
Americans, who, it is acknowledged, have a peculiar taste for 
design and painting, and they exceed 4000. The specimens 
were collected in wide and secluded districts, in a tropical clime, 
and all copied the moment each plant was gathered. This gives 
to the drawings a brilliancy and nature almost unequalled, and 
among them are some hundreds of plants never before known in 
Europe. ‘The history of the Cinchona, or febrifuge bark, in a 
long series of drawings, embracing the genera and extensive va- 
rieties, is peculiarly fine. This valuable treasure fell into the 
hands of General Morillo when he entered Santa Fe, and he had 
the whole packed up and sent down to a shipping port, where 
the packages were embarked for Spain, The descriptive pieces 
were at the time left in the eountry, and consequently they are 
not lost. Owing to the distressed state of the finances in Spain, 
it may be many years before this collection, which no doubt 
stands unrivalled, can be laid before the public. We therefore take 
the liberty to suggest, that General Bolivar,and the Government 
over which he presides, in whatever arrangements they may here- 
after make with the Ministers of Spain, respecting the acknow- 
ledgement of their independence, ought to stipulate for some 
plan for the publication of Mutis’s labours. This is due to science 
in general, as well as to the memory of that distinguished bo- 
tanist and his worthy coadjutors, some of whom, particularly the 
lamented Caldas, fell victims in that very contest which is now 
so near its close. —— 
SOUTH AMERICAN POTATOE. 
Some time last year, Mr.. Thomas Lorimer, residing near 
Rockhall, the seat of Sir Robert Grierson, Bart., received from 
an acquaintance, a single potatoe which had been brought from 
Spanish 
