PEEFACE. 



Foe a general view of the progress of botanical discovery in Australia, 

 and an enumeration of the Botanists, K'avlgators, Travellers, Collectors, 

 or Eesidents who have supplied tlie materials for describing its Flora, 

 or have published more or less of their descriptions, I must for the pre- 

 sent refer to the valuable Essay on the Flora of Australia, prefixed by 



Dr, J. D. Hooker to his ^ Flora of Tasmania.' Should life be spared 



to me to bring the present work to a conclusion, I purpose, with the 

 last volume, to give a sketch of the labours of all those who, to my 

 knowledge, have contributed to the investigation of the vegetation of 

 Australia. But, in the meantime, I would mention in a few words, the 

 princij)al sources from which I am now enabled to draw materials for 

 the present Flora. 



The chief foundation of the work may be said to be the vast herba- 

 rium of Sir William J. Hooker, with a few smaller collections under 

 his charge at Kew. I need not here repeat the detail of the rich stores 

 of Australian plants it contains, enumerated in Dr. Hooker's Essay, but 

 I cannot forbear thus early expressing my acknowledgment of the libe- 

 rality of the arrangements sanctioned by Sir ^Yilliam for the admission 

 of botanists to these collections, for which he has made so many sacri- 

 fices, and amongst whicb I have been enabled to work as if they were my 

 own, with the free use of one of the most extensive practical botanical 

 libraries. Here also I have had the benefit of continual friendly assist- 

 ance from Dr. J, D. HookeRj Assistant Director of the Eoyal Gardens, 

 and from PiiorEssoii D. Oliyer, Librarian, who have invariably allowed 

 me to consult them upon all points of difficulty which have arisen ; from 

 Mr. A. Black, the intelligent and zealous Curator, whose activity, 

 combined with a very great knowledge of plants, has brought the herba- 

 rium into such a state of order that few of the additions which are con- 

 tinually arriving remain many months without being laid into their 



