388 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



The description by Professor L. G. de Koninck of a large 

 collection of Palaeozoic fossils, forwarded to him for that purpose 

 by our venerable and distinguished fellow-colonist, the Rev. 

 W. B. Clarke, has resulted in the full corroboration of the views 

 which he has so long and so stoutly maintained against adverse 

 opinion. 



The third part of the Australian Orchids, by Mr. Fitzgerald, 

 has now been issued from the Government Printing Office, and 

 fully supports the reputation earned by the preceding numbers. 

 It is a subject for congratulation that the description of these 

 fleshy and perishable organisms should have been commenced in 

 the country where alone they can be profitably examined. And 

 it is to be hoped that the undertaking will ultimately lead to the 

 accomplishment of a Monograph dealing with the whole subject. 

 Mr. Bentham himself feels the difficulty of dealing properly with 

 the Orchids from examination of dried specimens only, and sees 

 that the work must be done upon the spot. 



The seventh volume of the Flora Australiensis (being in the 

 press) is not as yet accessible to the Australian public. I am 

 enabled, however, by the kind assistance of Dr. Woolls, who has 

 had the privilege of reading the sheets as issued, to inform the 

 Society that, in this volume, the following orders are (among 

 others) described, viz. : — Liliacece, Juncacece, Gommelynece, Zos- 

 teracece, Naiadacece, Palmacece, Pandancece, Aracece, Typhacece, 

 Eriocaulacece, Restiacece and Cyperacece. The whole work, useful 

 and comprehensive as it undoubtedly is, suffers from the circum- 

 stances under which it has been composed. No amount of 

 knowledge, acuteness, or ingenuity will altogether obviate the 

 disadvantages under which the botanist who describes from dried 

 specimens only must inevitably labour. And though the assist- 

 ance of Baron von Miiller and others have placed Mr. Bentham 

 in a far better position for the work than he could otherwise have 

 obtained, it remains evident that much has to be done by 

 botanists resident in the country, in order to complete this 

 account of the Australian flora. The genus Eucalyptus (Vol. 3), 

 and the Orchidacece (Vol. 6) are allowed by Mr. Bentham him- 



