Notices of European Herbaria. 137 



in 1768 ; and by him many seeds, living plants, and interesting- 

 observations were communicated to Linnaeus, but few, if any, dried 

 specimens. Dr. Garden, who was a native of Scotland, resided at 

 Charleston, South Carolina, from about 1745 to the commencement 

 of the American Revolution, devoting all the time he could redeem 

 from an extensive medical practice to the zealous pursuit of botany 

 and zoology. His chief correspondent was Ellis at London, but 

 through Ellis he commenced a correspondence with Linnpeus ; and 

 to both he sent manuscript descriptions of new plants and animals, 

 with many excellent critical observations. None of his specimens 

 addressed to the latter reached their destination, the ships by which 

 they were sent having been intercepted by French cruisers ; and Lin- 

 naeus complained that he was often unable to make out many of 

 Dr. Garden's genera for want of the plants themselves. Ellis was 



great numbers of North American plants into the English gardens. " Your 

 system," he writes to Linnpeus, " 1 can tell you obtains much in America. 

 Mr. Clayton, and Dr. Colden at Albany, on Hudson's River, in New York, 

 are complete professors, as is Dr. Mitchell at Urbana, on Rapahanock River, 

 in Virginia. It is he that has made many and great discoveries in the vege- 

 table world.' ..." I am glad you have the correspondence of Dr. Colden and 

 Mr. Bartram. They are both very indefatigable, ingenious men. Your 

 system is much admired in North America." Again: " 1 have but lately 

 heard from Mr. Colden. He is well; but what is marvellous, his daughter 

 is perhaps the first lady that has so perfectly studied your system. She 

 deserves to be celebrated." ..." In the second volume of 'Edinburgh Essays' 

 is published a Latin botanic dissertation by Miss Colden ; perhaps the only 

 lady that makes profession of the Linnrean system, of which you may be 

 proud." From all this, botany appears to have flourished in the North 

 American colonies. But Dr. Garden, about this time, writes thus to his 

 friend Ellis : " Ever since I have been in Carolina, I have never been able 

 to set my eye upon one who had barely a regard for botany. Indeed I have 

 often wondered how there should be one place abounding witli so many 

 marks of the divine wisdom and power, and not one rational eye to contem- 

 plate them ; or that there should be a country abounding with almost every 

 sort of plant, and almost every species of the animal kind, and yet that it 

 should not have pleased God to raise up one botanist. Strange indeed that 

 this creature should be so rare!" But to return to Collinson, the most amu- 

 sing portion of whose correspondence consists of his letters to Linnaeus 

 shortly after the publication of the ' Species Plautarum,' in which (with all 

 kindness and sincerity) he reproves the great Swedish naturalist for his in- 

 novations, employing the same arguments which a strenuous Linncean might 

 be supposed to advance against a botanist of these latter days. " I have bad 

 the pleasure," Collinson writes, " of reading your ' Sjjecies Planfarum,' a 

 very useful and laborious work. But, my dear friend, we that admire you are 

 much concerned that you should perplex the delightful science of botany 

 witli changing names that have been well received, and adding new names 

 quite unknown to us. Thus botany, which was a pleasant study, and attain- 

 able by most men, is now become, by alterations and new names, the study 

 of a man's life, and none now but real professors can pretend to attain it. 

 As 1 love you, I tell you our sentiments." — Letter of April 20, 1754. " You 

 have begun by your ' Species Plantarum' ; but if you will be for ever making 

 new names, and altering old and good ones, for such hard names that con- 

 vey no idea of the plant, it will be impossible to attain to a perfect know- 

 ledge in the science of botany." — Letter of April ]Oth, 1755; from Smith's 

 Selection of the Correspoiidence of LmncEus, Sfc. 



