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have usually passed under three jjairs of botanical eyes. The labels 

 are penned by the original contributor, who is often also the collector 

 of the specimens, and thus sufficiently familiar with them. They 

 have likely passed unchallenged under my own eyes in the processes 

 of sorting and arranging, &c. And they again pass under the inspec- 

 tion of Mr. Dennes, or may be some other individual, when he takes 

 out the specimens in London, in order to supply the desiderata of 

 members. Usually there are numerous specimens of the same spe- 

 cies, and when this is the case I do not read each label singly ; nor 

 perhaps does Mr. Dennes always read the labels in selecting speci- 

 mens from the general store of duplicates ; so that there may be par- 

 ticular instances where a label has been really seen and examined 

 only by the original sender. And on the other hand, when fresh la- 

 bels are written, in order to change the nomenclature, the original 

 contributor ceases to be responsible for their accuracy. In certain 

 genera, also, where the limits and distinctions of species remain lui- 

 settled, we should not change the labels, although our individual opi- 

 nions might not concur with that of the contributor who had attached 

 his own labels to the specimens ; say, for example, in the genus 

 Rtihus, where we should never change the labels of Mr. Bloxara. 

 These, and some other special instances would be the exceptions ; 

 for, in general, the labels will have had the treble sanction. But I 

 need scarcely observe that, in passing thousands of specimens through 

 hand, often with considerable rapidity, oversights will be committed, 

 labels will occasionally be crossed or misapplied, and other sources 

 of error may arise. 



There is one particular form of label, among several which have 

 been used for British plants, that I will take the present opportunity 

 of explaining. Some years ago, there was a large accumulation of 

 specimens with loose labels, which had been mixed and confused to- 

 gether in such manner as to render the correct appropriation of the 

 labels to the specimens quite impossible. They were known to be 

 British specimens, and that was all that could be said of many of 

 them in the way of indicating their habitats. For these specimens, 

 many of which were sent abroad, we had a very general form of label 

 printed, simply indicating that they had come iiom the Society's du- 

 plicates of British plants. The same general form of label has been 

 also used occasionally for specimens which have been sent to the So- 

 ciety without labels, by botanists who are not members. I mention 

 them here by way of intimation to those who might suppose that the 

 Society was unmindful of its own rule which directs contributors to 



Vol. II. L 



