COXe’s TRAVELS. IN DENMARK.

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ranged one thoufand two hundred and thirty-nine fpecies, with the fpecific names, fromDillenius, Haller, and Linnaeus .

It is greatly to be regretted, that this ingenious naturalift has been called from thepaths of fcience by an appointment to an office in the treafury, where he has fhewn him-felf no lefs qualified to excel in the civil line.

After the publication of the eleventh fafciculus in 1775, the further profecution of thework was committed to the care of Dr. Otto Frederic Muller, a gentleman who after-wards gave to the public feveral valuable fpecimens of his knowledge in natural hiftory ;particularly a curious work under the title of Hijloria Vermium; another under that ofZoologies Danites Prodromus ; and engaged, under the higheft patronage, in publilhingthe figures of all the rarer animals of the kingdom of Denmark , under the title of Zoo-logies Dunices leones , of which two fafciculi made their appearance * * * § .

In fpeaking of the publications on natural hiftory, it would be unpardonable to omitthe mod fplendid work of the kind ever produced in any nation. It is a colledrion ofrare Ihells, in 2 vols. folio, engraved and coloured by Francis Michael Regenfufs at theroyal expence. The firft volume contains a fhort account of the collections of naturalhiftory, and particularly of Ihells, in Denmark ; a preliminary difeourfe on conchology,■with a detail of the authors who have written on the fubjedt, and their different fyf-tems, and feventy-eight complete and delicately coloured' figures, in twelve plates,accompanied with fcientific deferiptions in the Latin, French , and German languages f.

The Kings of Denmark have occafionally deputed, and ftill continue to fend, at theirexpence, men of learning not only through their own territories, but to various partsof the globe, for the purpofe of extending the bounds of knowledge.

Langebek travelled through the Danilh dominions and Sweden , with a view to col-led documents, charters, and other ftate papers, relative to the ancient hiftory of theNorth; and Schoening for the fame purpofe, at the expence of Prince Frederic. Amongothers employed in the execution of the fame plan, Dr. Moldenhauer, a gentleman ofvarious and profound erudition, vifited England, France, and Spain , where he examinedthe libraries for oriental and claffical manuferipts.

But the literary expedition which reflects the higheft honour on the crown of Den-mark , and holds up an example to other fovereigns, was begun in 1761, under theaufpices of Frederic V. who, at the fuggeftion of the late Count Bernfdorf, difpatchedfour perfons J, eminently verfed in different branches of fcience, to Arabia; of whichcurious and interefting journey Niebuhr, the only furvivor, has publilhed a much efteem-ed account §.

There are two libraries at Copenhagen belonging to the King, a private and a pub-lic, both in the apartments of the palace. The private library contains twenty thou-fand volumes; the public one hundred and ten thoufand, and feven thoufand manu-

* Since the death of Dr. Muller, who completed only the fifteenth fafciculus , the Flora D attic a has beencontinued by profeffor Vahl, well known from his Symbols Botanies , or defeription of plants collected byForfkal during his journey into the Eaft, to which are added others feen by the profeflbr himfelf in thefouth of Europe, and in Africa . The fame author has enriched botanical fcience by a defeription of Ame-rican plants not before known, in a work entitled Eclogs Americans.

j- Choix de Coquillages Gravees.

f Frederic Chriftian Haven for oriental languages ; Forfital apd Dr. Cramer for natural hiftory; Nie-buhr for hiftory and geography : they were accompanied by a draughtfman.

§ Befchreibung von Arabien; Reife Befchreibung nach Arabien , &c. in 3 vols. This work has beentranflated into the French language. Defcprition de 1’Arabic. They departed from Copenhagen in*761-

feripts.