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"Embothnum emarginatum about 9300 feet, assigning it a range of only 

 300 feet. On the summits of the mountains of Van Diemen's Island, 

 in about 43° south lat., at the computed height of about 4000 feet, I* have 

 found species of Embothrium, as well as other genera, hitherto observed 

 in no other situation. Embothrium, hosvever, as it is the most southern 

 genus of any extent, so it is also, as might have been presumed, the most 

 alpine of the family. Two genera only of this order are found in more 

 than one continent : Rhopala, the most northern genus, though chiefly 

 occurring in America, is .to be met with also in Cochin China, and in 

 the Malay archipelago; and Embothrium, the most southern genus of 

 any extent, is common to New Holland and America. It is remarkable, 

 that Proteaceie are almost entirely confined to the southern hemisphere. 

 This observation originated with Mr. Dryander; and the few exceptions hi- 

 therto known to it, occur considerably within the tropic. The fact is the 

 more deserving of notice, as their diffusion is very extensive in the southern 

 hemisphere, not merely in latitude and longitude, but also in elevation ; for 

 they are not only found to exist in all the great southern continents, but 

 seem to be generally, though very unequally, spread over their different 

 regions : they have been observed also in the larger islands of New Zealand 

 and New Caledonia ; but hitherto neither in any of the lesser ones, nor in 

 Madagascar. As in America they have been found in Terra del Fuego, in 

 Chile, Peru, and even Guiana, it is reasonable to conclude that the inter- 

 mediate regions are not entirely destitute of them. But with respect to 

 this continent, it may be observed, that the number of species seems to be 

 comparatively small ; their organisation but little varied ; and further, that 

 they have a much greater affinity with those of New Holland than of Africa. 

 Of the botany of South Africa scarce any thing is known, except that of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, where this family occurs in the greatest abundance 

 and variety ; but even from the single fact of a genuine species of Protea 

 having been found in Abyssinia by Bruce, it may be presumed that in some 

 degree they are also spread over this continent. With the shores, at least, 

 of New Holland, under which I include Van Diemen's Island, we are now 

 somewhat better acquainted ; and in every known part of these, ProteacesD 

 have been met with. But it appears, that both in Africa and New Holland 

 the great mass of the order exists about the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 in which parallel it forms a striking feature in the vegetation of both continents. 

 What I am about to advance respecting the probable distribution of this 

 family in New Holland must be very cautiously received, as it is in fact 

 chiefly deduced from the remarks I have myself made in Captain Flinders's 

 Voyage, and subsequently during my short stay in the settlements of New 

 South Wales and Van Diemen's Island, aided by what was long ago ascer- 

 tained by Sir Joseph Banks, and by a very transitory inspection of an her- 

 barium collected on the west coast, chiefly in the neighbourhood of Shark's 

 Bay, by the botanists attached to the expedition of Captain Baudin. From 

 knowledge so acquired, I am inclined to hazard the following observa- 

 tions: — The mass of the order, though extending through the whole of the 

 parallel already mentioned, is by no means equal in every part of it; but 

 on the south-west coast forms a more decided feature in the vegetation of 

 the country, and contains a far greater number of species, than on the east; 

 and in that part of the south coast which was first examined by Captain 

 Flinders, it seems to be more scanty than at either of the extremes. On the 

 west coast also, the species, upon the whole, arc more similar to those of 

 Africa than on the east, where they bear a somewhat greater resemblance to 

 the American portion of the order. F'rom the parallel of the map, the order 

 diminishes in both directions; but the diminution towards the north is pro- 



