Aylmer Bourke Lambert. 345 



AYLMER BOURKE LAMBERT, F. R. S., &c. 



The gentleman whose name heads this article, is one of the 

 most munificent patrons of botanical science in England. He 

 has published a magnificent work on the Pines and Firs ; and 

 he possesses probably the finest library of botanical works in 

 Europe. He has also a most splendid and extensive herbarium, 

 containing, among other rarities, the botanical specimens col- 

 lected by Ruis and Pavou for the Flora Peruviana ; the dried 

 plants of Pursh, used for his North American Sylva ; the dried 

 specimens of Pallas, and those of many other celebrated bot- 

 anists. Besides these collections, which possess a high degree 

 of historical interest, in addition to their intrinsic value, Mr. 

 Lambert's herbarium is continually being increased by addi- 

 tions from every part of the world. He possesses a splendid 

 collection of the Banksias and Proteas, those extraordinary 

 plants of Australia, the novelty and beautiful appearance of 

 which procured for the coast where they were first seen, the 

 name of Botany Bay. From the tropical regions of the west- 

 ern hemisphere, Mr. Lambert has some extraordinary speci- 

 mens of Cactus, some of which are the only ones of the kind 

 in Europe. A volume would be required to describe all the 

 rarities of Mr. Lambert's collections. 



In the early days of the establishment of the Linnaean 

 Society, Sir Joseph Banks was in the habit of assembling 

 around him, on stated days, all the most celebrated persons 

 connected with botany and the other branches of natural his- 

 tory. All newly discovered plants, all important discoveries, 

 and in short, all that was interesting in these most interesting 

 sciences, was there discussed, before it was given to the pub- 

 lic ; and, as every one must have observed that new ideas are 

 frequently elicited by persons skilled in similar pursuits, which 

 would not have occurred to the closest student when alone, 

 there can be no doubt that these meetings were of the greatest 

 service in promulgating and elucidating the natural sciences. 



What Sir Joseph Banks's meetings were in his day, Mr. 

 Lambert's are at the present time. Every Saturday during 



