760 presiden't's address. 



since those words were uttered, I have received not a few 

 expressions of opinion from those who approve of the idea. 

 Other duties have hitherto prevented me from making definite 

 suggestions with the view of mapping out the State into botanical 

 provinces, but what I now submit may be of service as a basis 

 for work. It is impossible to construct a complete botanical 

 map while there is so much botanically unexplored country, and 

 what I have indicated is realh^ a scheme for systematic botanical 

 exploration. 



Our State is divided into counties which, in many cases, have 

 artificial boundaries. They will, however, be useful, to some 

 extent, for the purpose of giving definiteness to some of our 

 proposed botanical areas. New South Wales is also divided into 

 three roughly parallel portions for the purpose of Land Adminis- 

 tration, the boundaries being an attempt to define the lands in 

 accordance with their climatic and settlement values. It is very 

 difficult to divide New South Wales into natural physical 

 divisions of any kind, as anyone who has made the attempt has 

 readily discovered. 



I have tried to divide the State into botanical districts on 

 climatic data, but have found many difficulties. Mr. H. C. 

 Russell, our Government Astronomer, has published maps show- 

 ing, in square degrees, (1) the average rain, (2) the average 

 monthly rainfall, (3) the spring, summer, autumn, and winter 

 mean temperatures, and the highest and lowest temperatures, 

 (4) the average temperature for each month in the year, but I 

 have only been able, in a very general way, to use these data for 

 botanical purposes. 



The late Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald"^ made the first attempt with 

 which I am acquainted to divide New South Wales in accordance 

 with its botanical features. His classification is as follow^, but, 

 it will be observed, it is but slight. f 



* Linn. Soc, Lond. (1882) : Abstract in Jouni. Bot., xx., 96. 

 t The paper of Prof. Kalph Tate "On the influence of physiographic 

 changes in the distribution of life in Australia" {Proc. Aiist. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 

 i. 312, 1888), should be referred to. He discusses the flora of the whole of 

 the continent, dividing it mainly into three groups, and deals with general 

 considerations. 



