description having been taken of it at the time, its publi- 
cation has been deferred. An opportunity of examining 
fresh flowers having subsequently been afforded from the 
same extensive collection, we have ascertained that it is 
the Urtica naucleiflora of Roxburgh. 
It is one of the multitude of curious and beautiful 
plants for which our country is indebted to the splendid 
liberality of the Honourable Court of Directors of the 
East India Company; a liberality truly worthy of that 
princely body, which has been exercised in a manner 
absolutely unheard of in the annals of the most wealthy 
potentates, or of the most powerful governments; and 
which may be justly asserted to have conferred more 
real benefits upon science than the united efforts of all 
the sovereign princes of Europe. Under the patronage: 
and protection of the East India Company, and by the 
indefatigable exertions of Dr. Wallich, the Flora of India 
has been explored to a degree which could never have 
been anticipated in the present generation; and the bril- 
liant results of these researches have not been left to perish 
in a few private Gardens, or to moulder in the garrets 
of inaccessible and unarranged’ Museums. On the con- 
trary, enormous distributions have been making for years ; 
not only all England, but the Hothouses of the most 
remote Gardens of Europe have been supplied with the 
vegetable wealth of India; and the best part of the Flora 
of Nipal will soon be as well known in the flower-gar- 
dens of English cottagers as to the Nipalese themselves. 
Of dried plants, unheard of multitudes are destined by 
the Company for distribution, under the direction of 
Dr. Wallich, among the public and private collections 
both of England and of Europe. In short, the obligations 
imposed upon us by these acts of truly Oriental mu- 
nificence are of such a nature, that it has become the 
bounden duty of all men who have the interests of science 
and of civilization at heart, to take every opportunity of 
expressing the deep sense which they cannot but feel of 
measures which so redound to the honour and glory of the 
Company. 
For an opportunity of consulting the unpublished Flora 
of Roxburgh, we are indebted to the liberality of our friend , 
Dr. Wallich. From the account of Urtica naucleiflora in 
