conflave;runt m^cowan et bolus. 
Cape Town, Cape of Good Hope, 
December 31, 1884. 
The Collection of Cape Plants of which the first two centurite are now issued, has been formed 
on the basis of our joint and several studies of the South African Flora during the last twenty years. 
Through direct intercourse, we have been most kindly assisted, in succession, by the late 
Ur. W. H. Harvey and Dr. W. Sonder, joint authors of the “ Flora Capensis,” by Sir Jos. D. Hooker, 
Prof. Oliver, Mr. J. G. Baker, Mr. N. E. Brown, and others, in the comparison and determination of 
critical species. Incidentally also, many of our plants have been determined by monographers of particular 
orders. Since 1S82, the resources of the Cape Government Herbarium have been available for study of the 
types selected and authenticated by Harvey, and the comparison of good numbered sets of Ecklon and 
Zf.yher’s, and Drege’s originals. 
With these adjumenta, and with the leisurely procedure possible only to resident collectors, we 
have projected this new issue of Cape Herbarium Specimens The exsiccata of Ecklon and Zeyher, and 
Drege, are now more than half a century old. Many of their specimens, collected on hasty journeys, do 
not fulfil their purpose, and the temptation, inevitable in making up many sets for sale, to break up a few 
good examples into many bad ones, has tended to lower the working value of their issues. 
We therefore propose to limit the collections to ten, in order that each species may be well and 
plentifully illustrated, and to offer them to such Herbaria only as are open to public consultation and study, 
— particularly those in which special work upon the Cape Flora has previously been undertaken. 
To cover incidental charges of packing, agency, and freight to London, where the fascicles will be 
delivered franco, the sets are reckoned at a nominal rate of ten shillings per centuria — two centurire at least 
being issued together. 
We have sedulously kept in view the identity of the gatherings grouped under one number, to en- 
sure the typical character of the issue. In most cases, the examples have been gathered at one time and in 
one loeality ; hence the student working upon any one set may be sure of his results being perfectly realized 
in any other place where our sets are preserved. The plants have been compared with originals of the 
quoted numbers of former collectors, as far as these exist in the Cape Government Herbarium, and authen- 
tication not thus obtainable has in most cases been made at Kew, either by the generous assistance of the 
botanical staff of that establishment or by one of ourselves. It is therefore hoped that the nomenclature 
will be found accurate. 
At a future time we shall issue autographic lists of the species contained, and take the opportunity 
of adding any corrections or comments which may increase the value of the series. We reserve to ourselves 
the right of adding from time to time supplementary specimens to enrich the representation of such rare 
or local species as may not be obtainable in large quantity in any single season, but these will not be 
counted as fresh items in the Centuria?. 
The Curator of^(l.,./icLl.ifaL^^ Jj 
is respectfully requested to signify his willingness to accept, for the collection in his'^charge, the sets now 
offered, and to direct the Editors’ Agent, Mr. Wm. Wesley, Essex-street, Strand, London, in what way 
they are to be forwarded to their destination. 
P. MAC OWAN, Director of the Botanic Gardens, Cape Town. 
H. BOLUS, F.L.S., Rosebank, near Cape Town. 
