BOTANICAL GARDENS—THE POND. WINTER.
In spite of all these little drawbacks, by the year 1850 the Board’s confidence in Harvey had so increased, and the Bursar had become so sympathetic, that we find a yearly sum of £108 paid as Herbarium expenses, and collections were bought from Spruce, Bowker, Wright, Fendler, Jameson, and many others.
The year 1858 was rendered notable by the purchase of Count Limingan’s Herbarium for £237, the duplicates of which were disposed of to the Melbourne University Herbarium and to the Queen’s College, Cork. During 1849-50 Harvey visited the United States, and by this visit greatly added to the College collections; and his lengthened tour in Australia and the South Sea Islands during 1853-55, chiefly made for the purpose of collecting Algæ, resulted in making the College Herbarium so rich in these forms that it has become a necessary resort for all students of this group of plants, containing as it does the types as well as the finest series of specimens collected by one who was during his lifetime the chief authority upon these plants. Harvey died on the 15th of May, 1866, at Torquay. To the very last the College Herbarium was in his thoughts. To the writer of these lines he dictated a letter, signed by him in pencil, and dated the 12th May, 1866, giving directions about certain packages of plants:—“The six bundles of Erica belong to the Cape Government Herbarium, and should be put with the others in the box, so that they may not be forgotten when the packing time comes. On the table you will find in an old marble paper cover the MSS. of the new edition of the Genera of South African Plants, which put by carefully, and which Dr. Hooker will probably inquire about;” and so on with four pages of last words, for the letter concludes, “I tell you all these things because I never expect to see the Herbarium again, and I wish to leave all things as straight as I can.”
In 1878 the Herbarium was transferred from No. 40 College, these rooms being required for students, to the large room over the great staircase leading to the Front or Regent’s Hall; but since then, as no money is allowed for the purchase of new specimens, the increase of the collection has depended exclusively on donations, and some very generous ones have been received, among which may be mentioned as among the more important those from Dr. Grunow, of Vienna; Professor Farlow, of the Harvard University; Dr. E. Bornet, of Paris; Professor A. G. Agardh, of Upsala; and Baron F. Mueller, of Melbourne.
The general collection in the Herbarium is a fairly representative one. There is still kept as a distinct collection the one made by Harvey for the purpose of writing the Flora Capensis. The British Collection is also kept by itself. There is a very fine series of algæ and of mosses, and a small collection of lichens and fungi. A commencement has been made of a collection of woods, fruits, and seeds in the Botanical Museum.
FOOTNOTES:
[172] History of the University of Dublin (1591 to 1800), p. 270.
[173] Taylor: History of the University of Dublin, pp. 101-2.