182 



Floricullural and Botanical Notices 



remarks in relation to the plants brought home by the Ex- 

 ploring Expedition. In Silliman's Journal for April, is a 

 paper of some length, giving a brief account of the Expedi- 

 tion, the track of the vessels as laid down in Capt. Wilkes' 

 Synopsis of the Cruise, the number of birds, animals, rep- 

 tiles, fishes, plants, Otc. collected, the drawings made, and 

 other interesting particulars. From this we learn that "the 

 aflairs of the Expedition are in the hands of the library 

 committee of Congress, and, under tiieir direction, Capt, 

 Wilkes has been put in charge of the history of the voyage : 

 the charts and philosophical observations, and the other- 

 departments of science, are placed in the hands of those that 

 had charge of them during the voyage, hiach will prepare 

 his own reports, reap his own honors, and be held respon- 

 sible for his own facts. The extent of the work cannot be 

 definitely stated: the plates will form several folio volumes 

 in the style of the voyage of the Astrolabe." 



Ten thousand species of plants, and upwards of fifty 

 thousand specimens, constitute the herbarium of the Expe- 

 dition. The following catalogue gives the number of spe- 

 cies collected at the several places visited : 



9646 



Including the mosses, lichens and sea-weeds, the num- 

 ber will exceed ten thousand. Besides dried specimens, 

 two hundred and four living plants were brought home, 

 and are now in the greenhouse in the yard ol' the Patent 

 Office, along with many others raised from seed. The 

 kinds of seed obtained amount to eleven hundred and fifty- 

 six. Many of the Expedition plants arc now growing in 



