PREFACE. IX 



every quarter of the globe. The Bank- 

 sian herbarium was, in the course of 

 seven months, compared with that of 

 Linnaeus throughout, to their mutual 

 advantage, by a copious interchange, 

 not only of information, but of speci- 

 mens. Plants or insects were for many 

 years continually sent from France, 

 Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Germany, and 

 even Sweden, as well as from America, 

 for comparison with the authentic ori- 

 ginals named by the hand of Linnaeus. 

 The time and labour devoted to this 

 task have been richly compensated, by 

 the acquisition of various novelties, and 

 of much instruction, as well as by the 

 pleasure of so extensive an intercourse 

 with persons occupied in the same fa- 

 vourite and delightful pursuit, and by 



