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lity from this gentleman, which fully deserves this public acknow- 

 ledgment. As soon as he knew that I had been collecting and was 

 examining Rubi, the whole of his valuable collection was instantly at 

 my disposal; — a collection containing an immense number of speci- 

 mens, and authenticating the opinions of nearly all who have studied 

 the subject for many years. This is one of the circumstances to which 

 I alluded at the commencement of this notice, as enabling me to speak 

 of my Selborne specimens with some degree of confidence. Another 

 of them is, that I had very lately the advantage of a visit from my 

 friend Mr. Babington, who brought with him a large portion of his 

 Rubi. The mutual comparison of specimens which we had thus an 

 opportunity of making, is far more satisfactory and precise than end- 

 less reference to descriptions, even the very best ; and indeed, better 

 and more happy descriptions, given, too, as they are, in iew words, 

 and in a genus so difficult, cannot be imagined, than those of Babing- 

 ton. Certainly, no other analysis or description of the British species 

 of this genus, approaches those of the Manual, either in comprehen- 

 siveness or perspicuity. 



Another advantage which I had in looking over specimens with 

 Mr. Babington, was, that he is well acquainted with the herbarium of 

 Mr. Leighton, the accurate and laborious author of the ' Shropshire 

 Flora,' to whom we stand indebted for the immense trouble he took in 

 collecting large numbers of specimens, and sending them for authen- 

 tication, not only to the most eminent botanists of this country, but to 

 those of the continent also. There were many of these series of spe- 

 cimens, with memoranda of their various authentications, in the valu- 

 able collection of Mr. Bon'er, kindly lent to me. 



I mention the above circumstances, to show how far I have had an 

 opportunity, in the remarks which follow, of authenticating and com- 

 paring the specimens of which I speak ; and in doing so 1 must men- 

 tion two other opportunities, namely, the donations of the Botanical 

 Societies of Edinburgh and London. Those which I received from 

 the Edinburgh Society were few in number, but excellent specimens, 

 and correctly named : those from the London Society were much 

 more numerous, but I cannot compliment either the specimens or the 

 accuracy of their names. 



I regret not having seen the herbarium of Mr. Edwin Lees, a gen- 

 tleman, who, I am aware, has for many years paid great attention to 

 the Rubi, and who cannot have laboured so much without arriving at 

 some valuable results. But though I have not had the opportunity of 

 knowing his opinions of species, except very imperfectly, from inci- 

 VOL. II. N 



