that few of those of Tasmannia suffered, except such as 

 naturally grow in sand on the sea coast, and under the in- 

 fluence at all times of the sea air. Of the genera Beaufortia, 

 Carmichaelia, Doryanthes, Eugenia, &c. we do not possess to 

 my knowledge a single species. I am therefore anxious that 

 in all future times you should separate the plants of Van 

 Diemen's Land from those of Australia, as under the latter 

 name plants from the tropics to ahout 38° may be included, 

 whereas under Van Diemen's Land you can only include from 

 about latitude 40° 40' S. to 43° 35' ; and as our mountains 

 attain an altitude of 4000 feet, we ought to lay claim to a 

 separate nook in the geography of plants. By adopting the 

 name of Tasmannia for our island, you would avoid the con- 

 fusion of Sprengel, DeCandoUe, &c. where Insula Van Die- 

 men, Terra Van Diemen, Caput Van Diemen, &c. would 

 lead persons to believe they were separate places ; as although 

 there is a Van Diemen's Land near the Gulph of Carpen- 

 taria, I think few, if any, of its plants are described, except 

 under the name of Australia, under which name also so many 

 of ours are swallowed up. I am most anxious to claim for 

 ourselves a distinct portion of the globe, and not be lost in 

 the name New Holland. We are small, it is true ; but as the 

 most southern British settlement, and from our insular cha- 

 racter, I think I do not claim too much in wishing- our natural 

 history to be kept by itself; although it assimilates ne- 

 cessarily with the south coast of the great continent, yet 

 our possessing among the animals the Cynocephalus, and 

 some other things peculiar to ourselves, gives us a stronger 

 claim than our apparent insignificance on a map would lead 

 the great people in the old world to accord to us." 



18. SOPHRONITIS violacea; pseudobulbo ovali, folio solitario linear! scapo 

 terminali basi vaginato 1-floro longiore, labello obovato acuto nude basi 

 gibboso, columnse alls maximis carnosis obtusis falcatis. 



A pretty little epiphyte with solitary violet flowers, for 

 which I am indebted to Mrs. Cannon, of Stratford Green, in 

 whose hothouse it flowered in the beginning of February. 

 It is destitute of the brick red colour found in the other spe- 

 cies of this genus. 



