194 THE NORTH-AUSTRALIAN EXPEDITION. 



same time the reasons of my postponing the home journey, of which I 

 anticipated such delight and advantage. These letters, both forwarded 

 from Melbourne, no doubt will have arrived in due time. I have 

 also answered your letters of 1855 on these occasions, and am now 

 only receiving my botanical information for awhile through your 

 Journal. But is it not gratifying that, by the accelerated and short- 

 ened steam-communication with Europe, your antipodes are enabled 

 to peruse your instructive periodicals and writing in less than two 

 months after their appearance? Through Dr. George Bennett, in 

 whom I have found a very kind man, of high scientific accomplish- 

 ments, I received a week ago the complete volume of your Journal of 

 last year, and can thus now already thankfully acknowledge all your 

 manifestations of favour to me. I am particularly obliged for your 

 good opinion of my services in North Australia, but feel sure your 

 kindness has overrated them by far. Most thankfully I receive also 

 your valuable information upon some of my former plants, and was 

 much pleased with the fine figures of Buitonia and Andreaa. 



I owe my thanks also to Mr. Mitten for reviewing my Mosses from the 



Alps, and venture to hope that your great mycologist in England will 



place me under similar obligations, although the continuance of such 



important collections as Mr. Spruce's must as a matter of course throw 



the Fungi of ray collection into the background, although I should have 



been glad to hear at least Mr. Berkeley's opinion about that curious 



plant which looks more like a piece of an old brush than anything 



else. It was only once found on Fucalyptus-txzzs near Adelaide. In 



Mr. Berkeley's department I have, as the results of this expedition, 



actually nothing to oiler, and the number of Mosses and other Crypto- 



gamics was equally scarce in North Australia ; still Mr. Mitten might 



perhaps be able to find good contributions amongst what I collected on 



the east coast, and I have not made use of my privilege of keeping a 



specimen of those plants, in order to furnish the best material. From 



a kind letter of Professor Alexander Braun, I learn that he continues 



unceasingly to augment our knowledge of Chares and allied Orders ; and 



although the specimens of these brittle plants have suffered much by 



friction and pressure, still I think half-a-dozen species of Chara are 



determinable, and it would be interesting to learn whether they differ 



from Indian and extratropieal Australian species. 



1 am sorry to add that, with a heat of move than 120' Fahr. at 



