210 WILLIAM HENRY HARVEY 



brought its quota of undescribed plants. "Almost every small 

 package of specimens received from the Natal, or the Transvaal 

 district," he writes^ " contains not only new species, but new 

 genera ; and some of the latter are of so marked and isolated 

 a character, as to lead us to infer in the same region the 

 existence of unknown types that may better connect them with 

 Genera or Orders already known." To produce system in this 

 chaos he compiled and published his Genera of South African 

 Plants (1838), the forerunner of the larger works which con- 

 stitute his principal memorial in the domain of Phanerogamic 

 Botany. But the uncongenial climate and the intense application 

 were too great a strain on his health and he reached Europe in 

 1842, prostrated in both body and mind. 



Nevertheless, the final year of his residence in Africa saw 

 the production of the first of the series of works on seaweeds by 

 which his name will ever be best known. His Manual of British 

 Algae was issued by the Ray Society in 1841, its Introduction 

 dated at Cape Town, October 1840 a modest octavo volume, 

 characterized by the thoroughness which runs through all his 

 work. 



A period of convalescence and apathy followed his return, 

 in which he wandered about Ireland, doing some desultory 

 botanizing ; after which he settled in his old home at Limerick, 

 and again took up the uncongenial duties connected with the 

 family business. 



But soon a new prospect opened out. The retirement of 

 William Allman left vacant the Chair of Botany in Dublin 

 University. Harvey had little hesitation in applying for the 

 post, to which, he points out to a friend, " a moderate salary 

 and comfortable College-rooms are attached. It is an old 

 bachelor place," he writes, " and would in many ways suit me 

 very well. The only thing on the face of it disagreeable is the 

 lecturing, but I don't think I should mind that much, as it is 

 lawful to have the subjects for the class written down." Harvey's 

 candidature was viewed favourably by the .University authorities, 

 but a difficulty arose, inasmuch as the School of Physic Act 

 prescribed that the Professor of Botany should hold a medical 



^ Flora Capensis, Vol. I. p. 8*. 



