i ae EXTRACTS AND NOTICES. 
to the safety and good preservation of the collections, and how far 
the new localities proposed are suited for the intended purpose. 
The building proposed to receive the Herbarium was cigar 
used as the stables of the Grand Dukes of — and m 
recently occupied by the cavalry of the Italian army. For ‘ices 
hundred aed it has been constantly occupied ee a large number 
of horses, and it is in this building that it is now proposed to lodge 
the proses collections of dried plants that form the National 
Herbarium, so peculiarly liable to injury from damp. It is true 
that with a very heavy outlay that would be necessary for the 
rebuilding of a great part of the present structure, it might be 
possible to eradicate effects of the long usage to which it has 
pee applied; but, even if this were done, it may be doubted 
hether there is any peat of obtaining a building comparable in 
hasty, cine and suitability to its intended purpose as the 
present museum 
The project in question ib paves by influential men personally 
worthy of respect, but having no familiarity with pagenye pepe 
and therefore ate sauces Waris. appearing to be e ve 
of final adoption n, the undersigned residents in Florence aye 
endeavouri 
execution of a project which we believe to be highly injurious to 
the branch of Bae science to which we are devoted. 
@, refore, address ourselves to the botanists of all 
application of the large required for that purpose, or 
sufficient portion of it, to the further improvement of the present 
collections, by the Lin ied ees F sasiagd 
ving or dr 
cryptogams), to supplying deficiencies in aie bot 
providing additional cases for dried plants now ne ‘for 
want of space in which to arrange them, and, finally, to ther repairs 
and ae aoe urgently needed in the plant- h s of the 
Botanical Garden Baie _ oe 
NOTE ON MR. J. THOMSON’S CENTRAL AFRICAN COLLECTION. 
[We are edebied to Mr. Baker for am following note, which 
he has drawn up for Mr. Thomson’s recent work, ‘To the Central 
African Lakes and lack ’ Mr. Baker ins kindly added diagnoses 
of the two new species indicated in the note.—Ep. Journ. Bor.] 
The collection contains altogether freee 200 species. Amongst 
the plants from an 000 read are a certain 
number of characteristically Cape type Amongst these are 
Dierama (Sparaxis) pendula, a pes a0 Ope plant aah known 
English gardens; Buphane toxicaria, the well-known “ poison-bulb’ 
