president's address. 481 



he is acquainted. It would be a most valuable record, which no 

 one is more qualified to give. Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald's work on 

 the Australian Orchids still continues to give the public the fruits 

 of his careful and industrious observations, and the beautiful 

 illustrations from his graceful and artistic drawing. 



The labours of F. M. Bailey, F.L.S., are not so generally 

 known, and on that account are deserving of some detailed 

 mention. Eesiding in Queensland, he has for many years devoted 

 himself to the flora of that colony. It is now some six years 

 since he published an excellent illustrated handbook of Queensland 

 Ferns, a work, apparently, of unpretending character, but full of 

 the most important and valuable observations. Of late years 

 Mr. Bailey has devoted himself to the elucidation of our Australian 

 Fungi, Lichens, and mosses, seconded by the most eminent 

 specialists of Great Britain, and including Messrs. Berkeley, 

 Broome, Stirton Leighton, and Mitten. As there has been little 

 or nothing known of these several departments, it will not surprise 

 us to learn that a large number of new species are being discovered. 

 Some of these were described last year in the transactions of the 

 Linneean Society of London, by Messrs. Berkerley and Broome. 

 I may mention that Mr. Bailey and myself have been engaged 

 during the past year in preparing a census of the Fungi of all 

 Australia. In making this examination we have found that while 

 in the tropics there are many indigenous species, a considerable 

 proportion are identical with those of India. Outside the tropics 

 the indigenous species increase, but there is also a marked 

 proportion of European species. In all the three divisions of 

 Lichens, Mosses, and Fungi, we find a much larger resemblance 

 to the flora of remote countries than in more highly organized 

 members of the vegetable kingdom. This is in accordance with 

 what is gradually being recognized as a principle or law throughout 

 nature. The more simple the organism, the more ancient its life 

 history, and the more universally distributed over the surface of 

 the globe. I am not sure that every naturalist would formulate 



