JIfr. Brown, on the Proteacea of Jussieu. 21 



much greater affinity with those of New Holland than of 

 Africa. 



Of the botany of South Africa, scarce any thing is known, 

 except that of the Cape of Good Hope, where this family occurs 

 in the greatest abundance and variety ; but even from the single 

 fact of a genuine species of Protea having been found in Abys- 

 sinia by Bruce, it may be presumed, that in some degree they 

 are also spread over this continent. 



With the shores, at least, of New Holland, under which I 

 include Van Diemen's Island, we are now somewhat better ac- 

 quainted, and in every known part of these, Proteaceae have been 

 met with. 



But it appears that, both in Africa and New Holland, the 

 great mass of the order exists about the latitude of the Cape of 

 Good Hope ; in which parallel it forms a striking feature in the 

 vegetation of both continents. 



What I am about to advance repecting the probable distribu- 

 tion of this family in New Holland, must be very cautiously re- ' 

 ceived ; as it is in fact chiefly deduced from the remarks I have 

 myself made in captain Flinders's Voyage, and subsequently during 

 my short stay in the settlements of New South Wales and Van 

 Diemen's Island, aided by what was long ago ascertained by Sir 

 Joseph Banks, and by a very transitory inspection of an herba- 

 rium collected on the west coast, chiefly iu the neighbourhood 

 of Shark's Bay, by the botanists attached to the expedition of 

 captain Baudin. 



From knowledge so acquired I am inclined to hazard the fol- 

 lowing observations. 



The mass of the order, though extending through the whole 

 of the parallel already mentioned, is by no means equal in every 

 part of it ; but on the south-west coast forms a more decided 



feature 



