PRINCIPAL GARDENERS—WILLIAM MCNAB. 313 
Busy man though he was, McNab evidently found time to 
carry on, like other collectors of the period, an exchanging 
correspondence with Mr. N. J. Winch, as we learn from two 
letters, now in the Winch Correspondence at the Linnean 
Society, which I add here by permission of the President and 
Council; but from their tenor we may gather McNab found that 
the demands made upon his time and energy by other avoca 
tions only allowed of fitful interchange. The letters are, how 
ever, interesting as showing that McNab was no merely empirica 
gardener. 
Wiliam McNab to N. J. Winch.* 
Botanic Garden, Edinr., 13th April, 1818. 
ave to return you my best thanks for the Copy of your 
Northumberland Flora, which you had the goodness to send me, 
on the other side is a list of a few plants, which I wish specimens 
of, if you c rnish me with any part of them I shall be 
particularly oblidged to you for them. : 
As I have not hitherto pay’d any attention to the Cryptogamia, 
and have none of them in my Herbarium, I shall be particularly 
obliged to you if you could send me a few, if ever so common, 0 
the Musci, Hepatice, and, Alga, and what I have from you I know 
I may depend on being correct ; and I shall endeavour to make you 
a suitable return so far as is in my power, 
and I am, Sir; 
Your very Humble Servant, 
(Sgd.) William McNab. 
*P rinted by permission of the President and Council of the Linnzan Society, 
