ROBERT BROWN 



1773 1858 



By J. B. FARMER 



Position of Botany before Brown narrative diary naturalist to the 

 Flinders expedition travels in Australia his method in the field 

 Essay and Prodromus on the vegetation of New Holland the Prot- 

 eaceae and Asclepiadaceae Brown's digressions his tenacity and 

 caution impregnation views on the morphology of the Gymnosperms 

 in the memoir on Kingia foundation of ovular morphology cell 

 nucleus discussed the simple microscope " Brownian movement " 

 investigated summary of other work Bryophytes interest in fossil 

 plants personal characteristics Asa Gray's story the Banksian col- 

 lectionsthe British Museum and Linnean Society contemporary 

 appreciation his outstanding merits. 



Someone has affirmed that no man is greater than the age 

 in which he lives. A cryptic utterance, savouring perhaps of a 

 certain dash of impressionism, and not altogether false as it is 

 assuredly not wholly true. If, however, we endeavour dispas- 

 sionately to appraise the performance of the world's great 

 (though perhaps we should exclude the few greatest) men we 

 shall probably discover that the implied limitation is justified, 

 at least in part, by history and experience. The fact is that 

 hardly anyone can really penetrate far into nature's secret places 

 without losing his way. The virgin lands of knowledge that lie 

 beyond the area of contemporary possession are first invaded by 

 those who can breach the barriers that oppose advance, for genius, 

 by its wider outlook enables those who are endowed with it to 

 recognise the weaker spots in these barriers, and thus to lead 

 the attack. But the new territory, even after it is won, is ever 

 surrounded by unknown regions, still waiting to be overrun 



