78 New Systetn of Postage, 



science, and author of a valuable original work on Fossil Plants, 

 which were chiefly obtained from his own coal mines in Bohemia, 

 and of an excellent Monograph of the genus Saxifraga, illustrated 

 by coloured figures. To him we are indebted for the recovery of the 

 vegetable treasures collected by Hsenke in Peru, Cochabamba, and in 

 the Philippines, whither he had accompanied the Spanish voyage of 

 discovery under the celebrated, but unfortunate, Malaspina. These 

 interesting plants have been published by Presl, under the auspices 

 of Count Sternberg, in a work entitled ' Reliquiae Haenkeanse.' 

 Count Sternberg was distinguished for his urbanit)'', hospitality, and 

 an eager desire to promote every useful work. He left his collections 

 and books of Natural Historjr to the Museum already mentioned. 



Among the Associates are the following : — 



Mr. John Hunneman. — Mr. Hunneman having been long the me- 

 dium of communication between the botanists of this co untry and 

 those of Germany, Switzerland, and Russia, our collections have 

 been enriched through his means with a vast variety of new and in- 

 teresting plants. A curious Mexican genus, belonging to the natural 

 family Papaveracece, bears his name, and commemorates the services 

 rendered by him to science. 



Mr. George Penny. — He was well acquainted with the plants 

 which he successfully cultivated, and was the author of the ' Hortus 

 Epsomensis', and of several papers on Garden Botany in Mr. Loudon's 

 Gardener's Magazine. 



Mr. William Weston Young made the drawings for Mr. Dillwyn's 

 valuable work on British Confervte, and a series of drawings of Bri- 

 tish birds now in the possession of Mr. Yarrell. 



The President also announced that twenty Fellows, five Foreign 

 Members, and two Associates had been elected since the last An- 

 niversary. 



At the election, which subsequently took place, the Lord Bishop of 

 Norwich was re-elected President ; Edward Forster, Esq., Treasurer ; 

 Francis Boott, M.D., Secretary; and Richard Taylor, Esq., Under- 

 Secretary. The following five Fellows were elected into the Council 

 in the room of others going out, viz. W. J. Burchell, Esq., J. W. 

 Lubbock, Esq., Hugh Duke of Northumberland, John Forbes Royle, 

 ALD., and William Yarrell, Esq. 



NEW SYSTEM OF POSTAGE. 

 Our experience during the past month of the New System of Postage, though 

 as yet in its incipient and imperfect state, has been most satisfactory and gratify- 

 ing, in the faciUty and copiousness of intercourse with our scientific coiTespond- 

 ents, however distant. Information, ohsenations, suggestions, corrections, proofs, 

 drawings, inclosures of vaiions kinds, aheady begin to be interchanged with a 

 freedom which is as dehghtful as it is new and strange, and therefore not yet en- 

 joyed to its full extent. We shall find, we are persuaded, ample cause for grati- 

 tude to Mr. Hill, by whom so gi'eat a benefit has been suggested and perseveringly 

 matured ; and not less to !Mr. Baring, the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, for 

 ha\"ing faithfully, dihgently, and strenuously surmounted eveiy obstacle to the ac- 

 complishment of an object, of which he has duly appreciated the importance, as 

 regards not only the commercial, but the moral and intellectual interests of the 

 country. 



