source. An almost complete set has been remitted to me for publication by Dr. Asa Gray.
Mr. Charles Wilford, collector for the Royal Gardens at Kew, remained in Hongkong from November 1857 to June 1858, and remitted to this country above 400 species now deposited in the Hookerian herbarium. This collection has been of considerable use to me, the specimens being good, usually in several duplicates, and often accompanied by memoranda of their stations, with occasionally a few other notes.
Col. Champion's herbarium contained also a few specimens gathered by General (then Lieut.-Col.) J. Eyre, R.A., who also in 1854 showed me a beautiful set of botanical drawings made in the island, from which I took several notes. And lastly, in Sir W. J. Hooker's herbarium is a very fine set of Hongkong ferns transmitted to him by Colonel Urquhart, and some others from Dr. Dill, J. C. Bowman, Esq., and T. Alexander, Esq.
Such are the materials from the examination of which the present Flora has been compiled. They have been throughout compared with such allied forms from other countries as are contained in the rich Hookerian and other herbaria deposited at Kew, with occasional reference to Linnæan types, where it has been necessary, in clearing up dubious synonyms. I have also to acknowledge most valuable assistance received from botanical friends in particular Orders, upon which they have severally been monographically engaged. I would specially express my thanks to Dr. T. Anderson, for the generic arrangement and characters, and specific determination of Acanthaceæ; to Dr. Boott for the determination of the species of Carex; to Sir W. J. Hooker, for the determination of the Ferns; to Dr. Lindley for the determination of Col. Champion's and Mr. Hinds's Orchideæ, and for assistance in comparing Hongkong specimens of that and other Orders with his own herbarium; to Col. Munro, for the determination of all the Gramineæ of the island, with numerous important communications on their generic arrangement and characters; to Prof. Dan. Oliver, for the communication of his MS. notes on and characters and arrangement of Aurantiaceæ and of Utrieularia; and, above all, to Dr. J. D. Hooker, for his advice and assistance through the whole work, as well as for the communication of the invaluable notes and observations made by him on the living Flora of Sikkim and Khasia, so closely connected with that of Hongkong. I must add, however, that in the case of all the above-named Orders, as well as in the rest of the Flora, I have myself verified, on the specimens themselves, the characters which I have given; and whilst I fully acknowledge the sources from whence I may have de-
