2 



Introduction. 



Miscellanies, or in the reprints by Sir Wm. Hooker ; being of opinion, 

 that no benefit whatever accrues to science from merely saying this 

 species is distinct from that, without expressing in what the differences 

 consist. 



In the Companion to the Botanical Magazine, an account of Mr. 

 Jack's life is to be found, and of the estimation in which he was held 

 by his friends, who obtained leave to erect a monument to his memory 

 in the Botanic Garden of Calcutta ; but which, somehow or other, was 

 never carried into effect. 



As it can never be too late to supply an omission of this nature, we 

 would suggest, that the proposal even now be carried into effect, 

 and a small cenotaph, which might be made an appropriate ornament 

 to the Garden, be erected to his memory, as in the case of Dr. Rox- 

 burgh. 



To the writings of Mr. Jack, a few notes in italics have been added, 

 chiefly with reference to new habitats of some of his Plants, or the 

 " Locus Naturalis" of some of the anomalous genera. 



To us Mr. Jack appears to have been a botanist of the highest 

 promise ; his descriptions are autographs of the Plants. Twenty-two 

 years ago, he shewed a great knowledge of the Natural System, then 

 not much in vogue among Englishmen, and great precision in ascertain- 

 ing what was known, from what was unknown. Had his Manuscripts 

 and Collections not been burnt at sea with the vessel, on which they 

 were embarked under charge of Sir S. Raffles, it is probable that his 

 successors could not have congratulated themselves on the considerable 

 additions of undescribed species, which have since swelled the list of 

 Indian Plants, and which that accident left them in possession of, to 

 the sad disadvantage of the memory of Dr. Jack, w^hose life fell a 

 sacrifice to his scientific exertions, a short time before the destruction of 

 his collections and manuscripts, from the cause above adverted to. 

 Mr. Jack was a native of Aberdeen, where his father is still the Prin- 

 cipal of one of the Colleges of that place. In addition, therefore, to his 

 high botanical genius and industry, he had also the claim of a British 

 subject, (not always in the case of scientific pretensions, a recommen- 

 dation,) on the patronage of the Government of India; although he 

 never attained a more suitable place than that of Surgeon to Sir S. 

 Raffles. 



