INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 15 
special works on the flora of most of the Australian Colonies 
are now provided, one for Queensland having been published by 
Mr. Bailey some time ago, and one for South Australia having 
been just issued by Professor Tate, who also brought geologic 
and zoologic considerations to bear on the vegetation there. 
Mr. C. Moore has furnished the manuscript for the Flora of New 
South Wales, with a prospect of early promulgation in a special 
volume. Sir Jas. Hooker’s Floras of New Zealand and of 
Tasmania, quite gems, emanated already many years ago as 
one of the results of Sir James Ross’s antarctic expedition. 
Though limiting these remarks to achievements of later times, 
T do not wish to pass the name of Robert. Brown, because not 
only did he lay most extensively and firmly the basis for the 
system of Australian vegetation, but it was he also, who took up 
again morphology for plants, after the long interval since the 
origination of that branch-science by Wolff, just when it was 
resumed for animals by Doellinger.* 
Through gradually increasing facilities for multiplication in 
iconography now, so far as plants are concerned, about one-fifth 
of the known species have become depictured. Of illustrated 
monographies in vegetable natural history the most urgently 
required is one on Characeae, an opus, which would be of local 
interest in every part of the world, and particularly here, where 
‘this group of waterweeds abounds. 
In one particular respect splendid chances for facilitation or 
acceleration of science-work are not rarely lost at opportune 
moments, namely, to acquire extensive authentic collections, the 
accumulation of which may have involved the sacrifices of recre- 
ative ordinary pleasures through a whole life, the disbursement of 
a private fortune and the main-absorption of a brilliant mind in 
fixed research, whereby treasures may have been got together for 
material valuation simply unpriceable. Nowhere applies this 
more than in young colonies, where no opportunity should be 
missed, whenever such may suddenly arise at long intervals, to 
complete the working material from abroad by what may be 
otherwise utterly unobtainable. The securing of the Linnean 
collections, by the forethought of a British servant to his country, 
is an Instance in point. 
The gifted Secretary of the subsection for Music in our gather- 
* A passage from the Address is here omitted, in which the names were given of 
scientists, prominent in Australia during recent periods and mostly yet active in research ; 
but it proved impossible within the precincts of a general discourse, however propitious 
the moment, to allude to every one, who had attained celebrity in Australian scientific 
life. A hope is entertained, that at future meetings of the Association full justice will be 
done within the special sections to the merits of various and respective individual 
discoverers, who constitute now already quite a multitude of scientific worthies also in 
this part of the world. Two deviations from this course will be countenanced by all with 
due homage—to note especially the superb Decades, largely also paleeontologic, issued 
during the last 30 years by the veteran Professor of the Melbourne University—and to 
bestow adequate recognition on the brilliant manner in which the first President of the 
Australian Association maintains the fame of our eldest Observatory. 
