xnr FBocxxDis^ea of tbe 



OiidaMGS we possess of its greater or less exten^fm in finmer tunes, 

 to ite rdation to tliat of r^reaentxtiTe or allied spedes, to its bear- 

 ii^ on flie geoiiogieai leeoxds of tbe Idslbny of tiie globe, and to its 

 iciation to tiie areas oeei^ied by animalsi, espedallT by those inseets 

 and other Mn«Il«^ areatnres whose fires are, as it were, interwoTen 

 wi& the pboits Idiey deibna or destroy, or whose aid, as shown by 

 Mr. Darwin, is gawMitMl to tilion in tiie prafbrmance of tiie most 

 ewBBntial operations of Iflieir Kres. I dwdl the more iqpon this soh- 

 jeet as it is one inndudil have long Mt a pecofiar interest. Among 

 I3ie flans I haiB been more e^edaDy eaDed npon to stndy or work 

 osdt aire tibai; of Britain, whidt ^peais to be entir^ derivative; that 

 of Aostrafia, wfaidi is, an the contrary, one of tibe most endemip we 

 know, alAoDg^ engrafted in the north with Ihe general trt^eal flora 

 of Asia and Afrii^ and in the sootii widi a vegetation which must 

 hacvn made die dvcnit dl tiie iMihifailil*^ ^obe to its estrone noithezn 

 aaad aoofliezB limits ; tiiatof ltMs4»*"» Asia, whidi first so^ested the 

 roote above aDnded to as basing been fidlowed by American types in 

 their pttigi e Bs iowarfe Westom Eorope ; those of West Tropeal 

 Xtwit-m. and £ast Tropical Amczica, at the only latitude beades die 

 uxtie m e north, wboe the Atiamtic appears not to hare been at all 

 times an impaasable banier; and diat of the Mediterranean r^;ifln, 

 whieh in the evidences of great antiquity gfren by die nnmber 

 of ttnAentif. species of extremely liniited areas, appears almost to 

 liral Sondi A&ica, 8oadi-wei: A^vriHi. or Central America. It 

 ia impoaaihle to contemplate tl: i r diversities and cora^U- 



eatiou in tbe distnbotian of ,. or alfied gronps, wholly 



independent of aetnal cireiin^-' :: :>- of soil, climate, or facilities 

 iar or oibstades to di Bpe n aon ~ :i i: >~-ecalating <m finmer and 

 difixent eonffitions of die gl: . r v:.: ~ - 1 i-h speculations can hare 

 ai^valnennkaB tested by thr - iiTr:^: rrations of botamsts, 



aooiogisbs, and geoloe^staL Tlr It ^ ^'I'iwe canboild 

 iqf a inatory rf preceding ge 1 . I repeat, so rery 



few diat we ninst eall in aid : : ~ : :~ .bearnpon 



dieni, be it ever so lemotefy. Ti:- :: : — _i i_^ - i-e fed espe- 

 daHy anxkNis diat our xo&l .: ^ J _ --il]. remit to us, in 



pt v Ji! ! V Mi m to their a^arate A r - : . _ L ^i-rrr :1 : bear iqpon 

 ■olgeefB sndi as this, as int<;^rr5::^_- :: ::,;,zi;:5 : themsdres. 

 They may icmemba* also that our publications, more than any 

 oQien, are eettnn of :-OTr.-'r.j to the ban i< :f tl:r -ycr^dng natorafistB 

 of die eoontzy. 



fanning feom die - /--" of the ^e.r -r individual, 



^^"^ sssin «??2rE2<^:*^ ^sriil l:s origin or „:_. ]r_- pr^cipal laws. 



