PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



yet, in regard to all of them, the data he has collected and methodized 

 "will be found to be an important contribution to the scientific study 

 of geographical distribution, the value of which is enhanced by 

 copious references to the sources whence he has derived his infor- 

 mation. Among these regions I only allude now to the Brazilian, 

 for the purpose of calling your attention to the steady progress of 

 the great work descriptive of one of the richest floras of the globe. 

 The plan of the ' Flora Brasiliensis,' originally conceived by the emi- 

 nent traveller, naturalist, and ethnologist Carl von Martins, was, 

 with true German perseverance and energy, worked out by him to 

 the end of his life ; and immediately before his death he had the 

 satisfaction of concluding, under the enlightened patronage of the 

 ruler of that empire, arrangements by which its regular continuance 

 and, probably eai'ly conclusion were secured. The laborious and 

 irksome task of editor, including the dealings with authors of un- 

 certain habits and tempers, so well performed by Martius, has de- 

 volved upon a worthy successor in the person of Dr. Eichler, who 

 has also taken a distinguished part amongst the authors ; and a 

 further stimulus has been given to it by the recent visit of the 

 Emperor to the European continent. We all admired the intelli- 

 gent activity as well as the affability displayed by him when in this 

 country; and it was a matter of deep regret to me that my absence 

 from town prevented my attending upon his Majesty when he 

 visited these our rooms and insjDected our library and collections. 

 When in Germany, his delicate attentions to the widow of v. Mar- 

 tius, whom he styled " one of his oldest and best friends," and his 

 cordial reception of Dr. Eichler at Yienna, will have done as much 

 towards encouraging the editorial efforts, as the votes of the Bra- 

 zilian chambers have contributed to the material progress of the 

 work. The comjionent parts of this great Flora, by authors of dif- 

 ferent abilities, appreciating differently the value of genera and 

 species, and working at different times upon scantier or more co- 

 pious materials, must necessarily be somewhat unequal, and may 

 not, for instance, always give fair data for estimating the propor- 

 tions to the general flora held by the different natural orders. But 

 as a whole, including, as it does in the volumes already published, 

 detailed descriptions of above eight thousand species, illustrated by 

 nearly 1300 excellent folio plates, it is a national botanical monu- 

 ment such as no other country can boast of, and doing equal honour 

 to the Brazilian Government and to the German character. The 

 successive parts issued of this Flora, form, indeed, now the chief con- 

 tribution to systematic botany supplied on the continent, in addition 



