592 Annual Report. 



hoped it will, to feel the importance of knowing the nature of 

 living' objects, it is upon the native zoology that all inquiries 

 jfnust first be directed. The principles of connexion and ar- 

 jrangempnt must be illustrated by what is at hand, and syste- 

 niatic works of a local character serve to the Natural History 

 pf a country the same oflfice as grammars do to its language. 

 The same naturalist also took the opportunity on various occa- 

 sions, at Monthly Meetings, of noticing and exhibiting the 

 various species which had come into his possession. 



He had also kindly undertaken to draw up a Catalogue of 

 the objects in the Museum, but want of leisure rendered it 

 necessary to postpone its execution. The systematic worlj 

 ^bove alluded to wil} however, in some measure, supply the 

 want of one, as far as relates to the Zoological department ; 

 and the Council contemplating its probable use in this respect, 

 combined with its intrinsic value, have procured a small num- 

 ber of copies, which have been so arranged and thrown off, 

 ^.s to constitute a work independent of the other matter in the 

 Qu^rterjy Journal. 



Mr. VoN LuDwiG has transmitted a list of plants lately in- 

 troduced by him, whjch will be found in the appendix. The 

 list is accompanied by the following note by Mr. Bowie :— 

 " The shortness of the notice which called for the accompany- 

 ing list, must apologise for the incomplete manner in which it 

 is given ; it is, however, necessary to observe, that only one 

 case out of three has been unpacked, and the closeness of the 

 package renders it difficult to get at the tallies, and only such 

 are here enumerated as are in perfect health ; it will be grati- 

 fying to know that others in addition are, perhaps, ensured to 

 tne Colony, as many of the collection are herbaceous, and 

 seeds also ape vegetating in the earth vvhich fills the cases. 



'* It is impossible to refrain from remarking on the im- 

 portance of this rje-migration of plants, natives, of North 

 America, Japan, China, &c. from Europe, to the Cape. 

 Among them are Platanus Orientalis (famous in Grecian His- 

 tory), and Tilia Europcca or Linden, which gave the name to 

 the celebrated family of Linne, &c. &c." 



2. Statistics : 



No statistical details of any value have come under the no- 

 tice of the Council, but a system of inquiry of great extent and 

 importance has been under its review, and a Sub- Committee 

 has been entrusted with the revisal of the inquiries formerly 

 proposed by the Literary Society, and the preparation of 

 another set to be printed and circulated, either altogether or 

 in sections, among those persons in the community who are 

 likely to possess or acquire such information. It does not 

 #eem that any records of much trust or value exist in the 

 ipolony, tending to elucidate the great questions respecting the 



