482 Notes made during a Trip to 



tion of patches of all the grasses and various cereals, as well 

 as that of the native plants of Great Britain, all named and 

 numbered, and open for the use and examination of students, 

 many of whom were there taking notes. Would there were 

 such a collection here ; the study of botany would not then 

 be merely the dry effort of taxing the memory with a bur- 

 then of names from text-books, but would be soon invested 

 with all the interest which really and truly appertains to it. 

 As these gardens at Kew are open absolutely free of expense 

 to the public, there is no difficulty in the way of students of 

 either sex; and it is gratifying to add, that misconduct or 

 depredations are almost unknown. 1 saw here the action of 

 the machine for cutting the short grass on lawns ; it per- 

 formed the work expeditiously and perfectly. 



The collection of exotic ferns is most extensive and beautiful, 

 and contains the curious Evpbdium Kaulfussu of J. Smith, 

 separated by him from Marddia., on account of each indusium 

 being stipitate, or mounted on a foot-stalk — almost the only in- 

 stance known in this extensive family. The singular orchide- 

 ous plant Peristeria elata, was also there in abundance, and in 

 profuse bloom. This is called Flor del Espiritu Santo, in South 

 America, because in the centre there is a perfect miniature 

 representation of a pure- white dove, with expanded wings 

 and yellow beak. In many of these curious orchideous plants 

 the resemblances to animal forms require some stretch of the 

 fancy to distinguish, — here no imagination is wanted, the re- 

 semblance is perfect and complete. There was a plant of this 

 species in the collection of the lateW. Boott; it flowered well 

 one or two seasons, but, I believe, he lost it. 



The only other collection I have room to name, is that of 

 the New Holland plants, which, Avith the Proteaceaj of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, occupy a large and lofty glass structure. 

 In this collection are also numerous young plants, raised from 

 the seeds sent home by Mr. Drummond, from Swan River. 



The varied, grotesque, and beautiful foliage here, as well 

 as the flowers, are extremely striking, the leaves of several 

 of the Banksias and Dryandras resembling those of Cycas 

 and of ferns ; others of the Cape plants resemble firs ; while 

 the beautiful, white, silky leaves of some of the Proteas form 

 most singular contrasts, and give an excellent idea of a vege- 



