4-70 Linnean Society. 



Art. IV. Linnean Society. 



The papers read to this society, for the past year, have been chiefly 

 zoological, and illustrative of the natural system, or system of general affi- 

 nities, as applied to animals. It is singular, that the prevailing taste for this 

 system should have attracted the notice of the editor of a newspaper, at so 

 distant a situation as Van Dieman's Land, as the following extract will 

 show : 



" On reviewing the progress of botany during the last five years, one 

 cannot avoid being struck by the rapid progress made by the natural system, 

 and the continually diminishing veneration for the sexual arrangement of 

 Linnaeus. In the Transactions of the Linnecan Society, the papers are, 

 without a single exception, upon the plan, and couched in the language, of 

 that school which professes to follow nature through all her devious wind- 

 ings, whatever maybe the difficulties which occur in the search. This 

 relief from the fetters of authority cannot but augur good to the science ; 

 and, we have no doubt, in a few years botany will be able to regain the 

 time which has been lost in the arrangement of plants by the mere number, 

 proportion, and connection of their sexual organs, to the total neglect of 

 the study of their affinities ; and the rising generation of botanists will look 

 with astonishment at the exclusive reception of the Linnaean system, and 

 the neglect of those of Rivinus, Tourneforte, Ray, and Jussieu." {Colonial 

 Times, and Tasmanian Adv. Sept. 1, 1826.) 



The study of zoology is becoming every day more popular; the science 

 is undergoing great improvement, and the collections of individuals and 

 public bodies receiving continual additions from every part of the world. 

 Something, it is to be hoped, may be done by the Zoological Society in the 

 way of introducing and naturalising new singing birds, for the gratification 

 of the whole country, and new quadrupeds for the ornament of parks. The 

 rich ought to patronise the society, and the general reader will find the very 

 best information, as to the most interesting part- of the animal world, in 

 Griffith's translation of Baron Cuvier's Animal Kingdom, 5 vols. 8vo, just 

 completed. 



Art. V. Provincial Horticultural and Florists' Societies. 



The Tulip Shows about London have attracted the usual attention during 

 the last week of April and first fortnight of May. In the neighbourhood 

 of Islington we took a view of the beds of Messrs. Burn ard, May, Gold- 

 ham, Franklin, Butler (who is publishing on the subject), and Percival, — all 

 eKcellent, and deserving of separate notices, if we could spare room. Those 

 who attend to gardening in a general way, can hardly form an idea of the 

 sort of garden that they would see, and the occupations that they would find 

 going on, throughout the whole year, on the premises of what is called a 

 professed florist, for example, Mr. Goldham. This gentleman is actively 

 engaged great part of the day, and we may say night, in effecting the most 

 useful reforms in the fish-market at Billingsgate, and the remainder of his 

 time he devotes to the carrying on of what we cannot better designate, 

 than by calling a tulip manufactory, at Pentonville. The fixtures, imple- 

 ments, and materials of this manufactory may be estimated at between 

 2000/. and 3000/. ; the rent of the premises, exclusive of the dwelling-house 

 and offices, is 20/. ; and three or four workmen, who it is essentially neces- 

 sary should not know one tulip from another, are constantly employed. 



