28 



Report of the Herbarium Committee for the year ending 29th Nov. 

 1844, was read. 



The Reports were unanimously adopted ; after which a ballot took 

 place for the Council for the ensuing year, when the Chairman was 

 re-elected President, and he nominated Edward Doubleday, Esq., 

 F.L.S., and Dr. Bossey, Vice-Presidents ; Mr. F. Barham, Dr. Cooke, 

 F.L.S., and Mr. S. P. Woodward, were elected new Members of the 

 Council, and Mr. J. Reynolds, Mr. G. E. Dennes, and Mr. T. Sansom, 

 were respectively re-elected. Treasurer, Secretary, and Librarian. 



The Report of the Herbarium Committee embodies a general 

 sketch of the Society's present condition, in its scientific departments, 

 and runs thus : — 



In presenting their Report for the present year, the Herbarium 

 Committee may congratulate the Society on the favourable progress 

 made in those departments which come more immediately under the 

 superintendence of the Committee ; and upon which the eflaciency of 

 the Society, and its estimation before the public, are so materially 

 dependant. 



Exchange of British Specimens. — Although other objects were 

 contemplated on the first institution of the Society, and some of these 

 have been carried into effect as far as practicable, yet it has always 

 been considered that the Society's highest utihty would be found in 

 the exchange of specimens, and improving the private herbaria of 

 members by the distribution of new or local plants. The attention 

 of the Committee has been sedulously devoted to this object ; and 

 great assistance has been given by the ready kindness of members, in 

 sending supplies of newly discovered, or otherwise interesting, 

 plants : the specimens of which have been promptly and regularly 

 distributed to the other members who required them. Varieties even 

 of common species, have likewise been distributed, whenever ob- 

 tained, since changes fi'om their ordinary characters often bear im- 

 portantly on the practical distinction of species. In addition, several 

 current errors in nomenclature have been corrected, by the distribu- 

 tion of specimens collected and labelled expressly for this purpose. 

 These novelties, &c., have been latterly enclosed to members, along 

 with the specimens marked as their desiderata in the Edinburgh Cata- 

 logue, which could not include them. But as the London Catalogue 

 of British Plants, lately printed for the Society, included all disco- 

 veries announced up to the end of 1843, the members will now be 

 enabled to apply for past novelties and varieties in the usual manner, 

 by drawing a short horizontal mark against the numbers which pre- 



