388 



of his books and herbarium. M. Nees von Esenbeck has just pub- 

 lished a catalogue of his library, and prefaced it by an appeal to the 

 members of the Imperial L. C. Academy, and scientific men in gene- 

 ral, an extract of which has, by the desire of the author, been commu- 

 nicated to the editoi'S of botanical journals in England, by M. Berthold 

 Seeraann. " I am," says the President, " without property ; my 

 library, my herbarium, is all I possess, all I am able to leave to ray 

 family. In my career as medical man I considered the interest of the 

 poor sujfferer of primary, my own of secondary importance, and being 

 devoted too much to scientific studies, I did not obtain a good, cer- 

 tainly never an extensive practice. An estate, inherited from a rela- 

 tive, afibrded for some years means and leisure of cultivating science 

 successfully, until, during the French wars, the property became un- 

 tenable, and I was induced to accept a Professorship in Erlangen, and 

 the Presidency of the Imperial L. C, Academy of Naturalists. Having 

 afterwards, by exchanging Erlangen for Bonn, settled in Prussia, it 

 became a question whether the Academy should have its seat in Ba- 

 varia, because ray predecessor resided in Erlangen when the Gerraan 

 Empire was dissolved, or whether it should retain its position as a 

 national institution of the whole of Germany. The negotiations which 

 followed ended with the Academy keeping its independence, and, as 

 far as circumstances would permit, its position towards the Confede- 

 ration, — and it was by my exertions that the institution obtained a 

 confirmation of its ancient statutes, and, during its stay in Prussia, an 

 annual grant of 1200 thalers. 



" Since 1818 I have laboured in restoring this ancient institu- 

 tion, and in discharging ray duties as Professor in the University ; 

 indeed my academical duties required my whole attention, and 

 prevented rae from accepting any of the more lucrative places which 

 frora time to tirae becarae vacant. Thus, it happens that, since 

 the Government has deprived me of the Professorship, I am reduced 

 to circumstances which force me to part with my library and her- 

 barium. Having no prospect of a pension, and no desire to solicit 

 favour in high places, I address myself to the members of the Aca- 

 demy, and to my friends and contemporaries, begging them to exert 

 themselves in trying to dispose of my collection. If ray library 

 and herbarium could be sold as a whole, I should be able to realize 

 their value, and I would always consider that amount as an acknow- 

 ledgement of thirty-three years of academical service. — Nees von 

 Esenbeck, President of the Imperial L. C. Academy of Naturalists." 



The herbarium consists of 297 volumes in folio, and 42 in quarto, 



