I860.] REVIEW. 29 



the only work devoted to the botany of Ceylon in the English period, had 

 charge of our botanic establishments from 1817 to 1826. We perceive 

 that ample justice is being done to his memory by Mr. Thwaites. An 

 interesting genus of Composite plants was named after Moon by Dr. Aniott. 

 Andrew Walker was in charge of the Botanic Gardens in 1827. James 

 MacRea, a Scotchman, was in charge for three years (1828 to 1820), and 

 made and sent to England considerable collections of plants, especially our 

 Labiatse and Grasses. Dr. Wight named a genus of Euphorbiaceous 

 plants after MacEea, of which we have about nine species in Ceylon. 



" George Bird was in charge of the Gardens in 1831. 



" J. G. Watson, a pupil, we believe, of the celebrated Dr. WaUich, was 

 in charge of the Gardens from 1833 to 1838. He lived fast, and died, 

 and we believe there is no other record of his labours. 



" A Mr. Nightingale travelled here for the Duke of Northumberland 

 about the same period, and made some collections' of Ceylon plants. 



" J. G. Lear collected plants for Mr. Knight, the great London nur- 

 seryman, and acted as superintendent of the Peradenia Gardens in 1839. 

 For the seeds of a beautiful species of Convolvulus sent home by Mr. 

 Lear to Mr. Knight he received £20, and had the honour of knowing that 

 the plant was named Pliarbitis Learii. We believe that this beautiful 

 creeper grew up amongst some seeds received by Mr. Lear from South 

 America. 



" Mr. Noi-mansel was superintendent from 1840 to 1843, and paid much 

 attention to Coffee land, but has left no record of his botanical labours. 



" Mr. WiUiam Ondaatjie, a medical sub-assistant, and also a pupil of 

 Dr. WaUich, was acting superintendent in 1844. Mr. Ondaatjie pub- 

 lished some interesting papers on the botany of Ceylon in the Govern- 

 ment Almanacs, and attempted to claim the first discovery of the Madder 

 and Gum Kino plants in the Island, but both were given, with their stations, 

 in 'Moon's Catalogue' in 1824, and indeed we are assured that the 

 liubia Zeylanica, sylvestris, Quadrifolia major of Burmann's ' Thesaurus,' is 

 this very Madder plant. 



" Dr. Gardner was superintendent from 1845 to 1849. He brought 

 great industry and science to the work, but died suddenly and prematurely 

 without accomplishing much. 



" Dr. Wight was here in 1836, and travelled in Ceylon in company with 

 Colonel Walker, the husband of the accomplished Mrs. Walker, who has 

 done so much towards illustrating the botany of the Island by her beauti- 

 ful and accurate drawings. On his return to Coimbatore, and with the 

 object of writing a new edition of ' Moon's Catalogue,' Dr. Wight took 

 with him Moon's collection of plants, and Dr. Gardener visited Dr. Wight 

 with the object of comparing the collection with Dr. W.'s own rich herba- 

 rium. Dr. Gardener in this way did good service, and has recorded the 



