FERDINAND VON MUELLER. 277 



into the malarious districts of the old world, whilst he was also 

 much associated with Mr. Bosisto in the iuvestigatiou of the 

 eucalyptus oils. 



From the economic aspect, perhaps his most important work — • 

 indeed, it would seem to have been one of his most favourite ones 

 • — was that on Select Extni-Tivpical Plants, intended as a guide to 

 plants suitable for industrial cultivation in the colony, and of which 

 between 1871 and 1895 no fewer than eight editions were issued. 

 Of works of economic value may also be mentioned a translation, 

 with original notes, which he caused to be published at his own 

 expcuse, of Wittstein's Onjanic Constituents of Plants, and also 

 reports by Messrs. Hoffman and Kummel on Chewical Ecsearches on 

 Vi'i/etable Products of Victoria. 



In 1887-88 he published the Iconographj of Australian Species of 

 Acacia and Cognate Genera, consisting of 130 plates, with explanatory 

 matter ; in 1880 the work on ^Ji/oporineiv was commenced, with 

 seventy-two plates, and in 1890-91 he published the two volumes 

 on Salsolaceous Plants — a work of considerable economic value, and 

 likely to be still more highly valued when Australia is fully alive to 

 the great economic importance of this part of its flora. 



In 1885 he commenced to work, at the instigation especially of 

 the late Dr. F. S. Dobson, a former president of this club, on the 

 DicJiotomous Key to Ihe Victorian Flora. The plan was one which 

 was clearly distasteful to him, and though, as with all his other 

 work, he expended upon it a great amount of conscientious labour, 

 it must be frankly admitted that from the point of view for which 

 it was intended it was not a success ; indeed, it may be doubted 

 whether a work on such a plan could be satisfactory beyond a 

 certain and very limited degree. The Baron was pre-eminently an 

 investigator, and not a teacher in the ordinary sense of the word, 

 aud with his profound knowledge it is not to be wondered at that 

 he found the dichotomous method almost impossible to utilize in 

 the grouping and identification of species. 



Amongst other works may be noticed his papers on the Papuan 

 plants of D'Albertis and Macleay, and, in more recent years, on 

 those collected by Sir \Vm. Macgregor in New Guinea, and in the 

 New Hebrides by Mr. Campbell. The works of explorers such as 

 Babbage, M'Douall Stuart, Giles, and J. and A. Forest, and the 

 report of the Elder expedition, contain valuable lists of the flora of 

 various little known parts of the continent. 



For years past collectors from all parts of the continent, many 

 subsidized by himself, but many others, fired by his enthusiasm, 

 working gladly to assist him, have supplied him with material, the 

 results of his work being scattered through various publications, 

 more especially those of the Linuean Society of New South Wales, 

 the Victorian, Tasmanian, and South Australian Royal Societies, 

 and the Field Naturahsts' Club of Victoria. One of the finds which 

 pleased him most in recent years was that of the only known 

 Australian Rhododendron (It. Locha), secured by Mr. Sayer on 

 Mount Bellenden-Kerr in Queensland. 



His invaluable Sijstrwatic Census <f Australian Plants, the second 



