In spite of its impressive name, _The South-Sea Herbal containing the names, use, etc. of divers medicinal plants lately discovered by Pere L. Feuillee, one of the King of France's herbalists ... much desired and very necessary to be known of all such as now traffick to the South-Seas or reside in those parts_ (1715), is only eight pages long, five of which are devoted to figures of the plants. Nevertheless this now rare little pamphlet is valuable inasmuch as it is probably the first account in English of the medicinal plants of Peru and Chili. The writer--James Petiver--began life by serving his apprenticeship to Mr. Feltham, apothecary to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He afterwards qualified as apothecary and became demonstrator of plants to the Society of Apothecaries. All his life he seems to have been rather a recluse, devoting his time to the study of natural history specimens sent him from all parts of the world. His herbarium, now in the Sloane Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, is exceptionally interesting, for Petiver appears to have had friends in all parts of the world, mostly sea-captains, who took delight in sending him treasures. The value of his collection may be judged from the fact that shortly before his death, Sir Hans Sloane offered him £4000 for it. His _South-Sea Herbal_ is purely medicinal, except for an appeal to anyone living in Quito who "would be pleased to procure branches of the leaves of Jesuits' Bark or Quinquina with its Flowers and Fruit, which Favour should be acknowledged and more accurate Figures given of each if communicated to your humble servant." There is unfortunately now no copy extant of another of Petiver's pamphlets, _The Virtues of several Sovereign Plants found wild in Maryland with Remarks on them_. Apparently not many were printed, for there is a note to this effect at the end of the advertisement: "Divers of these Tracts are now so very scarce that of some of them there are not 20 left." Owing to the fact that nearly every page of illustrations in Petiver's works is dedicated to some friend who had sent him specimens, we have preserved for us the record of his numerous correspondents. These dedications are very pleasant reading:-- "To ye memory of y{t} curious Naturalist and Learned Father, Geo Jos{ph} Camel for many Observations and Things sent me." "To ye memory of my curious Friend Mr. Sam Browne, Surgeon at Madrass, for divers Indian Plants, Shells, Seeds, etc." "To Mr. George Bouchere, Surgeon, For divers Minorca Plants, Seed, etc." "To Mr. Alexander Bartlet, Surgeon, For divers Cape and Moca Plants, Shells, etc." "To Mr. George London, Late Gardiner to K. Will and Q. Mary." "To ye memory of Mr. Will{m} Browne, Surgeon, who Presented me w{th} Divers Plants, Shells, etc." "To His Hearty Friend, Mr. John Stocker, in gratitude for divers Plants, Shells, etc."