552 president's address. 



in that department, including microscopical examinations of the 

 igneous rocks. He has also been investigating the habits and 

 beliefs of various tribes of Australian aborigines, and several 

 interesting contributions of his have been published in London 

 by the Anthropological Institute. 



The second decade of Observations upon New Vegetable Fossils 

 of the auriferous drifts, has been lately issued by the Victorian 

 Government. This is a valuable addition to the former work of Baron 

 Ferd. von Mueller, C.M.G., M.D., Ph. D., F.R.S., F.L.S., etc., 

 Government Botanist, who has done so much towards the elucida- 

 tion of the Tertiary flora. I am informed that the ninth and 

 tenth decades of the Fucalyptograjrfria have been completed by this 

 distinguished botanist, who has also written a supplement to his 

 Systematic Census of Australian Plants, It is gratifying to 

 know that the Select Plants for Industrial Culture and Naturali- 

 zation, of which work the Government of New South Wales 

 brought out an enlarged edition in 1881, is passing now for 

 the sixth time in the English language through the Press by the 

 generous interest of Mr. G. Davis, the celebrated scientific 

 publisher of Detroit, Michigan. As a manual for the acclima- 

 tization of plants, the work has been translated and slightly 

 altered by Prof. Charl Nandin of Antibes, a member of the 

 Institute of France ; Spanish and Portuguese translations are also 

 in progress, for which the Baron has furnished some addenda. 

 The Members of the Society will be glad to learn that the 

 publication on Papuan Plants will be continued during the 

 present year as new material has been forwarded to the Baron. 

 The twelfth Volume of the " Fragmenta," is now in progress. 



In a letter which I have lately received Baron von Mueller 

 makes the following remarks regarding this Society, which with 

 your permission I will read : " The Members of the Linnean Society 

 of New South Wales, will be sad to learn that the venerable 

 George Bentham, who spent a large portion of his valuable time 

 for seventeen years on the elaboration of the Flora Austra- 

 liensis, is by the infirmities concomitant to his high age, prevented 

 from continuing his great labours, which early last year with the 



