224 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



objects of this nature, should if possible add a 

 branch of the tree in flower to shew the genus 

 and species. 



The gallery of the herbariums, which follows, 

 is fitted up with wooden cases 10 inches high, 

 1 1 wide, and from 1 7 to 18 deep — three hundred 

 and forty-four on the right of the entrance, and 

 two hundred and sixty-six on the left — secured 

 from the dust by curtains raised and let down 

 at pleasure. Those on the right contain the 

 general herbarium, composed of about twenty- 

 five thousand species, of most of which there 

 are several specimens. Beside the ascertained 

 species are placed the varieties, and such as 

 are not positively determined, with duplicates 

 exhibiting both the flower and the fruit, and 

 samples gathered in different countries. 



The basis of this herbarium is that of Vaillant, 

 which contained the plants labelled by himself, 

 with a memorandum of the place where they 

 were gathered, and the synonymes of the authors 

 known in his time ; and also specimens sent by 

 different botanists, whose writing was known, 

 so that the synonymes became certain on the 

 publication of their works. M. Desfontaines has 

 affixed the best ascertained and most common 

 modern names on a separate label to each of 

 these plants, and they have all been compared 



