156 Miscellaneous. [Manrcn, 
VII.—Miscellaneous. 
1.—Inp1an Botany. 
Extract—Proceedings of the Linnean Society, 5th June. 
The East India Company have presented to the Linnzan Society their magnificent 
Herbarium, containing the plants collected between long. 73° to 114° E. and lat. 
32° N. to the equator, by Kénig, Roxburgh, Riittler, Russel, Klein, Hamilton, 
Heyne, Wight, Finlayson, and Wallich. It includes about 1300 genera, more than 
8000 species, and amounts, in duplicates, to at least 70,000 specimens,—the labours 
of half a century. 
For many years a large portion of these vegetable riches were stored on the 
shelves of the India House, without any one sufficiently conversant in Indian Botany 
to arrange and render them subservient to the cause of science. On the arrival in 
this country of Dr. Wallich, the distinguished superintendent of the Company’s 
Garden at Calcutta, in the year 1828,—who brought with him an immense accession 
to the Herbarium from various parts of India, especially Nipal and the Burmese 
Empire,—the Court of Directors instructed him to make a Catalogue of the aggre- 
gate collection, and to distribute duplicate specimens to the more eminent Societies 
and naturalists throughout Europe and America. 
This immense labour has occupied Dr. Wallich for the last four years ; and it is 
the chief selection from these various Herbaria, destined for the museum of the 
India House, which the Court of Directors have, with princely munificence, pre- 
sented to the Linnzan Society. 
The liberality of the East India Company has been duly appreciated throughout 
the wide circle of science. It has been acknowledged by letters and addresses from 
the different Societies and individuals honoured by their patronage; and this last 
act of their bounty will endear them still more to the promoters of Botany, by 
placing the treasures they possessed along with those of Linnzus and Smith. 
The Linnzan Society purchased, two years ago, at an expense of 30007, the col- 
lections of Linnzus and of the late excellent Sir J. E. Smith; and since that, the 
Herbarium of the Society having been further enriched by the treasures of the East, 
it forms collectively one of the most interesting and important in Europe. 
The East India Company have set an example of a wise and liberal policy, which 
will be followed throughout the world, not only by Societies, but by those enter- 
prising individuals who have, to their own honour, made large collections of the 
objects of natural history; and it is a source of national congratulation that at 
this moment the naturalists of Europe feel indebted to this country for the most 
extensive contribution that was ever made to their botanical collections. We owe 
this general feeling of respect towards us to the enlightened conduct of the Court of 
Directors, who have done more to diffuse a knowledge of Botany than was ever 
done by any Government or association of persons on the globe. 
A deputation from the council of the Linnean Society, headed by the President 
Lord Stanley, waited on the Chairman of the Court of Directors, on the 26th in- 
stant, with an address expressive of the high sense the Society entertains of the 
honour conferred upon it by the liberality of the East India Company. 
Dr, Royle’s Collections. 
We are happy to perceive by an announcement made at the last meeting of the 
Asiatic Society, and which we have inserted in the advertisement sheet of the pre- 
