March 1, 1.S97.J 



KNOWLEDGE 



67 



eight degrees of latitude, from ten degrees to thirty-eight 

 degrees south, and having mountains rising to a height of 

 seven thousand feet in its southernmost or coldest part, very 

 considerable diversity in the vegetation of widely-separated 

 parts would be expected ; and this is so, though what may 

 be termed the characteristic features and components of the 

 flora are sufficiently general for the object of these articles. 

 As compared with the flora of the British Islands, and 

 even with that of the whole of Europe (which is about ] 

 one-fifth larger than Australia), the flora of Australia is ! 

 remarkable in a variety of ways. It is remarkable for the ! 

 large number of species or kinds of trees and shrubs ; for 

 the large number of species of one and the same genus ; 

 for the large number of trees and shrubs having brilliantly 

 coloured flowers and woody seed-vessels, associated with 

 hard, grey-green or blue-green foliage ; for the large i 

 proportion of species peculiar to the country : and for the 

 large number of very local species. 



The actual pubUshed number of species of flowering 

 plants and ferns combined, native of Australia, is about 

 nine thousand, of Em'ope about nine thousand live hundred, 

 and of the British Islands about one thousand five 

 hundred. It should be added that some botanists, who 

 take a more limited view of what constitutes a species, 

 would considerably augment the total number in each of 

 the three areas named. It will be seen that the total number 

 for Australia is not relatively high, but two things have to 

 be taken into consideration : first, many parts have not even 

 yet been thoroughly explored ; and, secondly, there is a 

 vast interior area supporting only the scantiest vegetation. 

 I will conclude my references to Dampier with a brief 

 account of some of the few plants figured in his " Voyage 

 to New Holland in 1609." Foremost among these plants 

 is the brDliantly coloured parrot flower, glory pea, or 

 Start's pea {CliantJnis Pampieri) as it has been called. 

 This is one of the most gorgeously beautiful plants of the 

 great pea family, and is intimately associated with the 

 progress of geographical discovery in Australia, having 

 been collected not only by Dampier, but by Allan 

 Cunningham, Captain Sturt, Ferdinand von Mueller, 

 and other explorers, on various notable expeditions in 

 different parts of the country. Though comparatively rare, 

 it ranges all across Australia, from the Dampier Archipelago 

 on the west, to the Lachlan and Darling rivers in New 

 South Wales. The accompanying figure of it is about 

 half natural size : the flowers being between four and five 

 inches long, of a rich crimson-red, with a flashing purple 

 black centre of a velvet-like texture. It has been culti- 

 vated in this country since 1858, and still exists in a few 

 gardens ; but it requires a skilful gardener to bring it to 

 perfection. There is only one other species of the genus 

 (' '. puniceiis), a native of New Zealand, where, however, it 

 is exceedingly rare in a wild state, existing only in some 

 smaU islands on the north-east coast of the northern 

 island. It was discovered by Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. 

 Solander on Captain Cook's first voyage. This is much 

 more easily cultivated than the Australian species, and 

 may often be seen in flower at Kew, where, in the North 

 Gallery, paintings of both may be seen. 



The plant mentioned by Dampier as resembling rose- 

 mary is also very widely spread, and at the same time 

 exceedingly common in some districts, especially on the 

 sandy sea-coasts. It is the Olearia axillaris of botanists, 

 and extends all round the western and southern coasts, 

 and is also found in Tasmania. Though externally resem- 

 bling rosemary, it is closely related to our native golden 

 rod. Among the other plants figured by Dampier is a 

 species of the characteristic genua Casuarina (concerning 

 which I shall have something more to say anon), Dampiera 



incana, IHplolana Bampieri, Isotoma petraa, Solatium orbi- 

 culatum, and a species of Melaleuca. The chief interest 

 attaching to these plants is their connection with the 

 first explorer of Australia; therefore no further particulars 

 of them need be given here. 



Nothing further was learnt concerning Australia until 

 about a century later, when Captain James Cook, after 

 circumnavigating the equally unknown New Zealand 

 Islands, proceeded westward and discovered the eastern 

 coast of Australia, which he surveyed from Botany Bay 

 northward. This was all accomplished in a barque of two 

 hundred and seventy tons, but, for the size of his vessel, he 

 had a numerous crew ; and there was also a party of artists 

 and naturalists, headed by the subsequently celebrated Sir 

 Joseph Banks. Large collections of dried plants were made ; 

 the artists painted them in their fresh condition, and the 

 botanists recorded and described aU the plants that came 

 under their observation. None of the artists survived the 

 voyage, but Banks enjoyed a long and distinguished career ; 

 yet, strange to say, although he spent large sums in getting 

 the drawings engraved and the descriptions completed, 

 the engravings stiU lie unpublished in the British Museiim. 

 A few of the plants were published by contemporary 

 botanists ; but the bulk were described and published by 

 the botanists of subsequent expeditions, English and 

 foreign. Itobert Brown, the botanieorum facile princeps 

 of his time, who was botanist to Flinders'a voyage to the 

 Tiira Aiisti-alis (1801-1803), pubhshed a large number 

 of them. In the meantime, as a result of Cook's surveys 

 and Banks's recommendations, the first penal colony was 

 established in New South "VN'alesi 1787), and Banks himself 

 maintained collectors there to enrich the Royal Gardens 

 at Kew. As the extracts from Dampier's narrative de- 

 monstrate, among the few trees that attracted his attention 

 were some gum trees {Eucalyjitus), which he called dragon 

 trees, and likened to apple trees. Banks's first walk in 

 New South ^Yales revealed to him the existence of trees 

 which he rightly conjectured must belong to the same 

 famUy, or genus, as those observed on the western side of 

 the continent ; but these early travellers did not at all 

 realize the variety and value of them. This wUl be the 

 subject of my next article. 



Sc(fn« Notts. 



We have the pleasure of announcing that a new series of 

 articles on English Medals, by Mr. G. F. Hill, M.A., will 

 be commenced in our next issue, each contribution being 

 accompanied by a fvill-page photographic plate. 



1 ^ « 



At last a true process of photography in colours is 

 announced. Although colouring media are employed, the 

 result is a photograph m colours of nature. M. ^'illedieu- 

 Chassague. the mventor, takes a negative on a gelatine 

 plate prepared by treatment with one of his solutions, the 

 plate being developed in the ordinary way. A print is then 

 taken on glass or paper, which, in either case, is prepared 

 by the same solution, the transparency or the print as 

 yet showing no trace of colour. It is then treated with blue, 

 green, and red solutions ; these colours, by their various 

 combinations, imparting to the subject aU its varieties of 

 hue, by what is termed selective absorption. Sir H. True- 

 man Wood declined to be convinced by an inspection of 

 M. Chassagne's results, and the latter was good enough to 

 demonstrate the whole process for him in the laboratory 

 of King's College. Oar own countryman was not only 

 convinced, but he himself photographed a bunch of flowers 

 brought from Covent Garden, and also other test objects. 

 Sir H. T. Wood says : " 1 cannot believe that any invest!- 



