Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 81.djvu/275

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Piso where a fuller description can be found, also there are references to the water-color collection.

For this collection Dr. Mentzel had an illuminated title page painted, which is reproduced herein as Fig. 5. It seems that considerable time was expended in working out a classification of this collection, for the title page is dated 1660, the preface 1664. Through the courtesy of Dr. Perlbach, of the Royal Library of Berlin, this photograph of the title page and a copy of Mentzel's preface have been received. The latter unfortunately gives no additional data. However,

Science owes him thanks that he, in this fashion when they had almost perished, preserved the chief memorials of this expedition to Brazil. (Lichtenstein.)

In this manner was preserved to posterity this invaluable collection of paintings. However they remained practically unknown for 150 years until Liehtenstein in 1814-17 in the Abhandlungen of the Berlin Academy made known their great worth. His first paper is preceded by an historical account and a critical discussion of the work of Marcgrave and Piso in Brazil which have been a source of inspiration and have supplied much data to the present writer. Then he follows with a critical discussion of both text and figures in the "Natural History of Brazil."

The water-color drawings are also preserved in the Royal Library of Berlin, but it is not clear just how they came thither. However in working out the data found in Driesen. the following interesting facts