Tafe of Linneus. 157 
all having become furious, wrote against Linnens, pamphlets in no 
very measured terms ; a third species was found, a little different 
from the genus, and Linneus named it Browallia alienata. By a 
singular chance, no other species of the genus, has ever been found, 
so that the names of Browallia still preserve the anecdote entire. 
Mr. Fee takes the trouble to exculpate Linnzeus from an accusa- 
tion against him relative to Buffon; the genus which bears the name 
of this great naturalist is written in Linnzeus (with a single f) Bufo- 
nia, which, it is said, was designed to indicate toad plants. Veutinat, 
wishing to exculpate Linnzus, says that he has given this name, be- 
cause the plant grows in moist places, while on the contrary it grows 
upon the most sterile rocks. ‘The truth is it was not Linnzeus who 
committed this orthographical error. The genus was named Bu- 
onia by Sauvages, in his method of leaves, and with a dedication so 
honorable to Buffon, that it is evidently only a simple error. Lin- 
nus admitted it without any further examination, and was indignant 
that so injurious an idea should be attributed to him, 
The error of the public rested on the fact that many of the names 
established by Linnzus had allusions to the persons to whom the genera 
were dedicated ; it is thus that he named Bauhinia, in honor of the 
two illustrious brothers Bauhin, a genus, whose species have all the 
leaves composed of two folioles ; again, having received a genus from 
India, collected by surgeon Dalberg, sent by the latter to his brother, 
a banker at Copenhagen, and transmitted by the banker to Linneus, 
he named the genus Dalbergia ; one of the species had the fruit 
_ pointed, this was the D. lanceolaris, in honor of the surgeon; the fruit 
of the other was round, this was the D. monetaria in honor of the 
banker. . 
The collections of Linneus were very considerable for his time, 
and his herbal was, in particular, the special object of his care and 
affection. He states in autographical notes, the origin of the plants 
which compose it, many of which were brought from the most dis- 
tant countries, at a time when travelling was far from being as easy 
and as frequent as at present, and when travellers, too much penetra- 
ted with the idea that the same vegetables might be found in very 
different countries, neglected often to collect them. “ My herbal,” 
said Linneus, “ is without contradiction the greatest that ever was 
seen ;” but although this assertion may not be very just, (since the 
herbals of Vaillant and Tournefort, then in existence, appeared more 
considerable,) if admitted to be such, this herbal must have contained 
