The American Journal of Science and ^rts. 143 



tended to him to complete his researches, and the notices 

 referred to are drawn up from an inspection of all the collec- 

 tions he has enumerated. As we believe Dr. Gray's remarks 

 will be read with great pleasure by many of our readers, and 

 not without some interest lo all, we are induced to extract 

 somewhat more largely than usual from a work not strictly 

 practical. 



Our brief notices, (Dr. Gray remarks,) will commence with the 

 herbarium of the imtnortal Linriccus, the fatlier of tliat system of 

 nnnieiiclature to which l)otany, no less than natural history in gen- 

 eral, is so orreatly indebted. 



This collection, it is well known, after the death of the younjrer 

 Limifeus, found its way to England, from whence it is not proijable 

 that it will ever be removed. The late Sir James Edward Smith, 

 then a young medical student, and a botanist of much promise, was 

 one morning informed by Sir Joseph Banks that the heirs of the 

 younger Linnaeus had just oflered him the herbarium, with the other 

 collections and library of the father, for the sum of one thousand 

 guineas. Sir Joseph Banks, imt being disposed to make the j)ur( hase, 

 recommended it to Mr. Smith; the latter, it appears, immediately 

 decided to risk the expectation of a moderate indejiendence, and to 

 secure, if possible, these treasures for himself and his country; and 

 before the day closed, had actually written to Upsal, desiring a full 

 catalogue of the collection, and offering to become the purchaser at 

 the |)rice fixed, in case it answered his exi)ectations. His success, 

 as soon a|)peared, was entirely owing to his promptitude, for other 

 ami very pressing applications were almost immediately made for the 

 collection, but the u|)right Dr. Acrel, having given Mr. Smith the 

 refusal, declined to entertain any other proposals while this nego- 

 tiation was pending. The purchase was finally made for nine hun- 

 dred guineas, excluding tlie separate herbarium of the younger Lin- 

 naeus, collected before his father's death, and said to contain nothing 

 that did not also exist in the original herbarium: this was assigned to 

 Baron Alstroeiner, in satisfaction of a small debt. The ship which 

 conveyed these treasures to London had scarcely sailed, when the 

 king of Sweden, who had been absent in France, returned home, 

 and despatched, it is said, an armed vessel in pursuit. This stoiy, 

 though mentioned in the Meinoir and Correspondence of Sir J, K. 

 Smith, and generally received, has, we believe, been recently con- 

 troverted. However this may be, no doubt the king and the men of 

 science in Sweden were greatly offended, as indeed they had reason 

 to be, at the conduct of the executors, in allowing these collections 

 to leave the country; but the disgrace should perhaps more justly 

 fill! upon the Swedish government itself, and the University of Up- 

 eal, which derived its reputation almost entirely from the name of 

 Linnaeus. It was, however, fortunate for science, that they were 

 transferred from such a remote situation to the commercial metrop- 

 olis of the world, where they are certaiidy more generally accessi- 

 ble. The late Professor Schultes, in a very amusing journal of a 

 botanical visit to England, in the year 1824, laments indeed that they 

 have fallen to the lot of the ^Hoto disjunctos orbe Brilannos;" yet a 



