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Bibliography. 205 



antarctic regions, viz. of what little of land there is between the par- 

 allels of 50° and 78° south latitude, the utmost limit that has been at- 

 tained by navigators. This is to be executed in the form of separate 

 floras of different groups of islands, &c. The fasciculi that have 

 now reached us are occupied with the botany of Lord Auckland and 

 Campbell's Islands. Thanks to the liberal spirit of interchange that 

 now prevails, and the disposition to further such arduous undertakings 

 by the communication of collections to those who are likely to render 

 them most subservient to the general interests of science, Dr. Hooker 

 has now before him sets of nearly all the extant materials for illustra- 

 ting the antarctic Flora, consisting not only of his own extensive col- 

 lections made during three years almost entirely spent in high southern 

 latitudes, but also of the still unpublished herbaria formed by Sir Josepl 

 Banks, Forster, and Solander, in Cook's voyage, that of Menzies, in 

 Vancouver's voyage, the plants obtained in Capt. Fitzroy's voyage, as 

 well as full sets of those collected by the rival French expedition under 

 D'Urville, and in former national voyages ; all of which have, with a 

 praiseworthy spirit, been placed in his hands by the proper authorities. 

 With these rich materials, and with the command of the two best bo- 

 tanical libraries (taken together) in the world— that of his father, and 

 that of the British Museum— Dr. Hooker will produce a Flora of the 

 south circumpolar regions of infinitely more importance and advantage 

 to science, than if all these scattered collections were independently 

 published. It were very desirable, therefore, that the antarctic plants 

 of the American exploring expedition (by no means, we suppose, the 

 most extensive part of that collection) should also be represented in 

 this general antarctic Flora, by an interchange of specimens, which 

 would doubtless bring in return a full suite of the British collections 

 for the herbarium at Washington. We know not what arrangements 

 are making for their publication ; but we speak advisedly when we 

 say that the antarctic botanical collections cannot be creditably elabo- 

 rated in this country, until the British and French works now in course 

 of rapid publication are completed. When that is done, the work will 

 be easy, indeed ; but little of novelty will remain. 



The second division of the Botany of Capt. Ross's voyage, will con- 

 sist of a Flora Nova Zealandia ; the third, of a Flora Tasmanica; 

 or the Botany of Van Diemen's Island. The latter will be indeed an 

 herculean task ; and we presume will not be commenced until the 



A. Gr. 



other parts are completed. 



4. Species Filicum ; being Descriptions of all known Ferns : illus- 

 trated with plates. By Sir Wm. J- Hooker, LL. D., etc. Part I. and 

 II. London, 1844. 8vo.— Sir Wm. J. Hooker commenced his distin- 



