142 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



to see any object can do so on any week-day, except Saturday, 

 by making application at the Director's office. The conservatory, 

 however, is open daily from i to 4 p.m. 



In nearly every town in Victoria there is at least an attempt at 

 a public garden, so that, in addition to the native flora, the 

 plants of other countries can be examined and compared by the 

 enterprising botanist. Of course, in the Melbourne Botanic 

 Gardens, besides the Economic Museum and the System House, 

 there is a magnificent and varied collection from nearly all the 

 countries of the globe, a large number of them being also 

 systematically grouped, either in hot-houses or in open beds. 



The Melbourne Herbarium next engages our attention. Very 

 few indeed have any conception of the splendid and valuable 

 collection contained in this very unpretentious building. The 

 whole of .^ustralia has been placed under contribution to fill its 

 presses. Here are the plants chosen and collected one by one 

 from every region of our continent. The sea shore, the dense 

 bush, the steep hillside, the vast plains — aye, even the dreary 

 deserts of the centre have yielded their quota. Think of the 

 patience, the perseverance, and the indomitable pluck required 

 and shown by the late Baron von Mueller, his able assistants, 

 and his scattered company of amateur collectors, to fill these 

 shelves. Here the lover of botany is welcomed by Mr. J. G. 

 Luehmann, the director of the museum, and any indigenous 

 plant that he may wish to study, from any part of Australia, will 

 be placed before him immediately ; not only that, but if he 

 requires any special information concerning such a plant or 

 plants, the kind and courteous director will spare neither pains 

 nor trouble to satisfy his visitor. It is really marvellous, when 

 we consider how long it is since some of these plants were 

 collected, to observe their good state of preservation. Thousands 

 of these plants have passed through the hands of the writer 

 of this paper, and the specimens were found to be as fresh and 

 as useful as if they were pressed last year, and yet the dates 

 marked on the specimen sheets show back to the concluding 

 years of the last century. 



The nucleus of the Herbarium was formed by the collections 

 made by Dr. Mueller from 1847 till the beginning of 1852, in 

 South Australia. A large addition was made the next three years 

 by collections of Victorian plants, after Dr. Mueller was 

 appointed Government Botanist. Then came the most important 

 plants collected by him during Gregory's expedition, 1855-6, 

 although the main set was sent to London. Soon after the 

 principal portion of Leichhardt's i)lants were added. Mr. 

 Dallachy collected first in the Mallee, afterwards for six years in 

 North Queensland. Meanwhile many amateurs sent specimens 

 from all parts of Australia, the principal being the Rev. Dr. 



