128 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
of Plates of the scenery and natural history of the Expedition 
have appeared, executed in a style alike creditable to those 
who conducted the voyage, and to the French nation. But 
although these have come under our observation, I am not 
aware that any text is published with them, or has reached 
this country.* I have seen none, save an 8vo. sheet of text 
upon the Alge of the voyage, entitled * Prodromus Gene- 
rum Specierumque Phycearum novarum in itin, ad Polum an- 
tarcticum collectarum” &c., by Dr. Montagne. 
Our object, on the present occasion, is to give a brief 
notice of the plates in the Partie Botanique, of which 
six livraisons are before us, each containing five plates, 
of an atlas folio size, executed in line engraving, with 
a degree of luxury wholly unknown in the annals of the 
Voyages of the British nation, but which unfortunately pre- 
vents their being so widely useful, by the necessarily high 
price. D'Urville, as is well known, was not only an able 
commander of a nautical expedition, but a very good bota- 
nist; and his Floras of * the /Egean Sea” and of the “ Falk- 
land Islands," have been long before the public. Had he 
lived, he would probably have undertaken the botany of the 
present voyage himself, as well as the account of the personal 
narrative. Under existing circumstances, the publication of 
the Plants has been committed to the gentlemen whose names 
stand at the head of this notice ; and we trust that descriptions 
will soon appear of the phanerogamic plants. The first of 
the plates at Tab. 1 of the Dicotyledonous plants, is 4gal- 
manthus umbellata, a myrtaceous plant from Lord Auckland's 
group, closely allied to Metrosideros. ‘Tab. 2 is a splendid 
Araliaceous plant from the same country, Aralia polaris (an ap- 
pellation the species scarcely merits, seeing that the Auckland 
Islands are no nearer the South Pole than the Land’s End of 
England is to that of the North), with ample cordate or reni- 
* The wrapper of the last botanical Livraison announces that of the Par- 
tie Historique vols. 1 to 5 have appeared, and of the Atlas Pittoresque 
livraisons 1 to 31, Partie Zoologique livraisons 1 to 9, and Partie Physique 
vol. 1. 
