2 Notices of European Herbaria. 
upon whose descriptive phrases or figures he established many 4 7 
his species. Our brief notices will therefor’ ‘naturally commence — 
with the herbarium of the immortal Linnzeus, the father of that 
system menclature to which botany, no less than natural 
history i ane is so greatly indebted. 
This collection, it is well known, after the death of the young- 
er Linnzus, found its way to England, from whence it is not 
probable that it will ever be removed. ‘The late Sir James Ed- 
ward Smith, then a young medical student, and a botanist of much 
promise, was one morning informed by hed Joseph Banks that 
the heirs of the younger Linnzeus had just offered him the herba- 
rium with the other collections and library of the father, for the 
~sum of 1000 guineas. Sir Joseph Banks not being disposed to 
make the purchase, recommended it to Mr. Smith; the latter, it 
appears, immediately ‘decided to risk the expectation of a moder- 
ate indépendence, 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 putchaser at the price fixed, in case it an- 
weet his expectations.* His success, as soon appeared, was 
entirely owing to his promptitude, for other and very pressing 
applications were almost immediately made for the collection, but 
the upright Dr. Acrel having given Mr. Smith the refusal deca 
ed to entertain any other proposals while this negotiation was 
pending. ‘The purchase was finally made for 900 guineas ) OX 
cluding the separate herbarium of the younger Ainelan collected 
before his father’s death, and said to contain nothing that did not 
also exist in the origin ‘Rerbarium : this was assigned to Baron 
Hcctiees i 
ae 
* The next day Mr. Smith “wile as follows to his pie informing him of the 
step he had taken, and abvana his assistance. 
‘* Honored Sir: You may have heard that the jing Linneeus is lately dead : 
his father’s collections and library, and “his own, are now to be sold; the whole 
consists of an immense hortus siccus, with duplicatet insects, shells, corals, mate- 
ria medica, fossils, a very fine library, all the unpublished manuscripts; in short, . — 
friends to whom T have entrusted my intention, approve of it highly. I have 
written to Dr. Acrel, to whom Dr. Engelhart has recommended me, for sped ¢ 
and the Shean telling him if it was what I expected, I would give him a ve 
