MR. J. BALL ON THE FLORA OF NORTH PATAGONrA. 203 



Contributions to the Flora of North Patagonia and the adjoining 

 Territory. By John Ba*ll, P.R.S., M.R.I. A., F.L.S., &c. 

 [Bead February 21, 1884.] 

 I returned last year from Brazil to England in company with 

 M. Georges Claraz, a Swiss gentleman who had passed several 

 years in the Argentine territory, chiefly at Bahia Blanca, and 

 who during his residence at that place made frequent excursions 

 through Northern Patagonia as far as the river Chubat, and 

 even beyond that river. Having a fairly extensive knowledge 

 of the principles of physics and biology, and being gifted with 

 keen and accurate powers of observation, M. Claraz lias accu- 

 mulated a large store of valuable information respecting a region 

 still very imperfectly known, which will, I trust, be socn given 

 to the world. Along with collections in other branches of 

 natural history, M. Claraz preserved specimens of most of 

 the plants observed during his residence in South America. 

 The greater part of these were sent some years ago to Switzer- 

 land, but have unfortunately been lost or mislaid. He retained 

 a smaller collection, chiefly from the neighbourhood of Bahia 

 Blanca and the adjoining territory of North Patagonia, which 

 he was good enough to send to me after his return to Europe. 

 It included about 190 species from the Patagonian region, and 

 a much smaller set of about GO species from the province of 

 Entrerios. The interest of the collection is much enhanced by 

 the notes added by M. Claraz respecting many of the species, 

 their properties and uses, with the vernacular names of those 

 familiar to the Indian tribes. 



It is well known that the coast-region of North Patagonia 

 was visited by Charles Darwin in 1833. He collected a good 

 many plants, chiefly near Bahia Blanca, specimens of which are 

 preserved in the Kew Herbarium, and has left an admirable 

 description of the prominent physical characteristics of the Pata- 

 gonian region. But neither Darwin nor any of the botanists 

 who have since been able to visit the country have been able to 

 penetrate far into the interior, or to remain long enough to 

 acquire any but a very partial acquaintance with the flora. 

 This is evidenced by the very meagre account of the vegetation 

 given in Grisebach's great work on the Vegetation of the Earth, 

 and by the fact that in the very useful volume on the Argentine 

 Republic, edited by Mr. R. Napp, the late Professor Lorentz, 



LTNN. .TOURN.— BOTANY, VOL XXI. Q 



