549 



plete. The following considerations have had great weight in inducing us to puhlish 

 these lists without mutilation. Botanists confessedly require more exact information 

 than they at present posesss, on many points relating to the general distribution of 

 plants, common as well as rare. In all matters connected with this subject, we know 

 of no botanist whose opinions are more worthy of regard than those of Mr. Watson ; 

 and that gentleman, at no very distant period, has well observed, that owing to the 

 want of sufficient data we are as yet unable to say with certainty, that even such com- 

 mon and widely spread plants as the daisy and the dandelion are to be found in every 

 county of the United Kingdom. Such data it is the province of local lists to supply, 

 and we would have them include the name of every species growing in the district to 

 which they refer. For our own part we can truly say, that if carefully drawn up, and 

 more especially if they contain short remarks on any interesting circumstances connect- 

 ed with the species, our only objection to these lists arises from the fear that some of 

 our subscribers may think that their place would be better occupied by matter more 

 generally readable. We shall be glad to receive communications on this subject; but 

 until some better plan be determined on, we trust we shall be excused if we "e'en gang 

 our ain gate," printing the lists of flowering plants, mosses, &c. entire, and in future 

 transferring localities of ferns to Mr. Newman, for publication in his county lists. — Ed^ 



Art. CXXXIII. — Notice of A Visit to the Australian Colonies. By 

 James Backhouse.' London : Hamilton, Adams «& Co. 1843. 



To a considerable number of our readers it is well known that the 

 author of this work is a member of the Society of Friends, and that 

 his visit to the Australian colonies was undertaken " for the purpose 

 of discharging a religious duty." But our notice of this narrative will 

 be confined to that part of it which is strict accordance with the de- 

 sign of ' The Phytologist,' namely, the author's observations on the 

 vegetable productions of these colonies ; and we trust that we shall 

 be able to show that James Backhouse is an observant and accom- 

 plished botanist. To many of our readers who are acquainted with 

 this excellent man, his profound botanical knowledge is already well 

 known ; still, even to these, our remarks may not be unacceptable, 

 since they will collect, and somewhat condense, observations on this 

 interesting science, which are scattered through a volume of 560 

 pages. The visit " occupied a period of six years, terminating with 

 1838." We shall divide our notice into three parts : — Van Diemen's 

 Land, Norfolk Island and New South Wales. 



Van Diemen's Land. — As far as Botany is concerned the nan-ative 

 commences at Hobart Town, where the author landed in February, 1 832, 

 and our first botanical sketch is of a hill near that town. This hill — 



"Was clothed with gum trees — species of Eucalyptus — of large size, having foli- 

 age somewhat like willows, and growing among grass and small shrubs. Many trees 



