Jan., 1908.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 147 



numbers of plants named and issued by Agardh, Beccari, Cooke, 

 De Candolle, Ecklon, Engler, Fenzl, Asa Gray, Hampe, 

 Sir J. Hooker, Kotschy, Lehraann, Lindly, Moritzi, Pliilippe, 

 Reichenbach, Schimper, Syme, Torrey, Wallich, Freyher, and 

 many others. 



A valuable collection of this kind is not an ephemeral or 

 perishable treasure when properly handled and preserved, but is 

 of permanent value. In some of the herbariums of Europe 

 specimens are preserved quite uninjured, though collected fully 

 300 years ago, and the National Herbarium contains numerous 

 specimens which were prepared by Thunberg, Ehrhart, and other 

 disciples of Linnaeus, and indeed some by the pre-Linnean 

 botanist Petiver, who died in 1718, besides a number collected 

 by Robert Brown in Australia during years 1802 to 1805, when 

 forming the first large collection of Australian plants. It may be 

 mentioned that the oldest herbarium in the world is probably 

 that of Rauwolf, in Leyden, 1576, which is still in good preserva- 

 tion. 



The object of accumulating such large stores of dried plants 

 is not to satisfy idle curiosity or personal gain. The aim is to 

 trace the characteristics and range of any plant of either hemi- 

 sphere, and to be able to verify plants from the original, or at 

 least from authenticated specimens. It is hardly necessary to 

 emphasize the necessity of being able to recognize and accurately 

 determine plants having medicinal properties or technological 

 value, although these form but a small fraction of all the plants 

 with which science has to deal. 



Nearly the whole of the systematic records of the world's 

 vegetation rest on such material, for it is only by drying and 

 preserving plants in herbaria that we can bring together the 

 plants of the whole globe for comparison. Even then the task is 

 a gigantic one, the number of species constituting the flora of the 

 world, including the lower cryptograms, being about a quarter of 

 a million. It is to such original material that we have through 

 centuries to refer for all systematic work, and for the issue of 

 every flora. In fact, all field work and field observation should 

 be based upon herbarium work. Neither form of study can 

 unaided meet with full success. 



Finally, in addition to the dried specimens, the Herbarium 

 possesses a very tine library of several thousand books, journals, 

 &c., among them being some by pre-Linnean authors. The 

 library is without doubt the best botanical one in the southern 

 hemisphere, and, Uke the Herbarium, is accessible to all botanical 

 workers for reference. 



The books and specimens of the late Mr. Chas. Walter have 

 been purchased for the National Herbarium. 



