April 1902.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUKGH 199 



well as the permanent use of these apartments, in order 

 that a general Herbarium might be formed in connection 

 with the University, to which all who cultivate the science 

 of botany might have ready access for reference and study. 

 That the Society, if this were granted, would immediately 

 proceed to classify and arrange the joint collections, and 

 would agree that they should become the University 

 Herbarium, of which, however, the Society should continue 

 perpetual Curators, hut the Professor of Botany, for the time, 

 to he Honorary Curator, with free access to the collection, 

 whether a member of the Society or not. 



That, as the plants belonging to the Society already 

 outnumber those belonging to the College, and as much 

 expense must be incurred in their arrangement and pre- 

 servation, it is to be hoped that the Honourable Patrons 

 will be satisfied that the Society, in making the foregoing 

 proposition, can have no other object than that of promoting 

 the science they cultivate, and the general interests of the 

 University where that science is so zealously, ably, and 

 successfully taught. 



May it therefore please the Honourable Patrons to take 



this Memorial into their favourable consideration, 



and accede to the proposal now made on behalf of 



the Botanical Society, and your Petitioners shall 



ever pray, etc. 



Signed — J. H. Balfour, Vice-President ; Eobert Kaye 



Greville, LL.D., Councillor ; Dav. Falconer, Vice-President ; 



E. Christison, Vice-President ; John Percy, Councillor ; 



Pat. Neill, Vice-President ; William M'N^ab, Councillor ; 



Wm. Brand, Treasurer ; James MacISTab, Curator ; AV. H. 



Campbell, Secretary. 



Letter from Professor Graham, dated 30th July 1838 — 



My Lord Provost and Gentlemen, — Having read the 

 foregoing Petition, I beg to express my anxiety that its 

 prayer should be acceded to. Without some such arrange- 

 ment I feel sure that the University Collection will, as 

 from its first beginning in the period of the late Dr. Hope, 

 remain utterly useless. AVith such an arrangement I feel 

 equally sure that the Collection as it now stands will be 

 made available, and that before long it will form only a 



