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distributed of the vegetable kingdom, and had been thrown into 

 great confusion by earlier writers. They have been the subject of 

 many treatises by Mr. Bentharn, and especially of two extensive 

 works, the contents of which have lately been embodied in the 

 " Systema Vegetabilium" of the DeCandolles. On their first ap- 

 pearance these works secured for their author a European reputation, 

 and will always rank high as models of skilful classification. 



It would occupy too much time to specify the very numerous 

 monographs and papers which Mr. Bentharn has communicated to 

 various scientific societies and periodicals in this country and on the 

 Continent, and especially to the Linnean Transactions and Journal. 

 That " On the Principles of Generic Nomenclature " may be noted 

 as an example of his power of treating an apparently simple, but 

 really abstract and difficult subject in a manner at once philosophical 

 and practical. Mr. Bentham's most recent work, that on British 

 Plants, is the first, on the indigenous Flora of our Islands, in which 

 every species has been carefully analysed and described from spe- 

 cimens procured from all parts of the globe ; it is distinguished for 

 its scientific accuracy, advanced general views, and extreme simplicity, 

 a combination of qualities which can result only from an extensive 

 series of exact observations, judiciously arranged and logically ex- 

 pressed. 



MR. BENTHAM, 



The early volumes of the ' Philosophical Transactions ' contain 

 numerous papers relating to Botany and the other sciences which 

 are usually comprehended under the general designation of Natural 

 History. As these sciences, but especially Botany, became more and 

 more extended, it was thought desirable that another Institution 

 should be called into existence, which might share with the Royal 

 Society the privilege of promoting the cultivation of them, and of 

 communicating to the world from time to time the progress which 

 has been made in this department of knowledge : and such was the 

 origin of the Linnean Society in the year 1788. The Royal Society, 

 however, does not on that account feel the less interest in this class 

 of scientific investigations. It is accordingly with great satisfaction 

 that the Council have awarded to you one of the Royal Medals, and 

 that, in the name of the Society, I now place it in your hands, in 



