woes of 
ee 
177 
Gxtvacts and Notices of Books and sMemoirs. 
THE PROPOSED REMOVAL OF THE pirat: ag COLLECTIONS 
OF THE FLORENCE MUSEU. 
[We have received the following letter from Mr. John B 
F.R.8., enclosing a translation of a memorial recently circulated 
and signed by Italian botanists of eminence. The letter and 
memori 
dw 
publicity as the pages of this Journal can » affo rd.—Ep. Journ. Bor.] 
“‘T think that you will render a service to the interests of 
Botanical Science by See oaat my the enclosed protest of the 
botaiiitts of Wioketios against the proposed removal of the Her- 
barium and annexed Botanic Garden in "tint ci ity. The Herbarium 
s not only one of the richest in Europe, but is of exceptional 
importance, tim the fact that in the collections bequeathed by the 
ate Mr. Barker Webb are included the type specimens of the 
Canarian ae ae of his other works, as well as those of the 
classical works of Desfontaines, Labillardiére, ahd Ruiz and Pavon, 
whose Herbaria all passed into his hands. e building in which 
it is lodged is admirably adapted for the ot while the site to 
which i is proposed to remove is in all respects objectionable, and 
would entail the certain injury and eesbale: loss of these priceless 
collections. —JOEN Batu.” 
When, in the month of May, 1874, botanists Soe all parts of 
the world were assembled in Florence in the buil ding containing 
the Botanical Museum founded by the late Professor Parlatore, 
ns 
attention of the Congress was the Botanical Museum, with the 
ro ie and convenient halls and galleries in which its meetings 
e held.” 
is one at that time would have supposed that what excited the 
i j h been con- 
of er Studies in the Piazza San Marco, in so far 
s the museum in Via Romana in order to follow the lectures give 
re; and, with = view to centralise the ted to 
students, is proposed th t a 
botanical soliesbonhs and to abandon the garden — to the 
present museum, with its hothouses and other appurtenances. In 
return, it is pr -opo osed to restore to its old destination ia small 
ancient Garden of Simples adjoiming the building, where it is pro- 
posed to lodge the herbarium. But the question which requires 
consideration is how far the proposed arrangements are conducive 
Qa 
