138 A CONTEIBTJTION TO, ETC. 



of nature. I believe that G-od has made nothing in vain, and 

 that every species, whether in the animal or vegetable kingdom, 

 has been created for some especial purpose in the economy of 

 nature. If we cannot at present discover these purposes, it is 

 rather owing to our ignorance, than to any other cause. The 

 progress of science has cleared up some of the mysteries which 

 have long enveloped many natural objects ; and doubtless, as our 

 knowledge increases, we shall have more and more reason to ad- 

 mire even the meanest animal, or vegetable which we now con- 

 temptuously tread under our feet. With this conviction, there- 

 fore, I proceed to enumerate some of the species of plants, which 

 a:'e springing up accidentally amongst us. There is certainly 

 some difficulty in distinguishing some species, which are consid- 

 ered cosmopolitan, from plants really introduced, but these are 

 comparatively few ; and I have taken it for granted, that those 

 plants which have appeared in the settled districts of the colony, 

 since the publication of Brown's Prodromus, and the earlier 

 botanical works on New Holland, are not indigenous, for I can- 

 not conceive it possible, that any species widely scattered over 

 the colony, could have escaped the observation of our first collec- 

 tors, as any object similar to what they had known in Europe, 

 must have excited particular attention. 



In the first great division of the vegetable kingdom, viz., the 

 ThalamiHora?, I have remarked that the introduced plants belong 

 principally to the following natural orders: (L) CarijophyllacE y 

 (2 Ci'iicf 'r<s, (3) F^inariaiecB, (1) Geraniacete, (5) Linacece, (6) 

 MuhaCiCR, and (7) rhytolaccacece. 



(1.) GorijopJiyllacecB. Of this order, the species most common 

 in gardens and cultivated places are Polycarpon tetraphyllum or 

 "all-need," Stellaria media or " chickweed ;" and Cttrastium vul- 

 (jatum or " mou^e-ear chick-weed," but I find that my learned 

 friend, Dr. F. Mueller is disposed to think that the first two of 

 these may be indigenous, although in speaking of Stellar la media, 

 he remarks that " the plant which inhabits our forests and alps, 

 constitutes a race somewhat different to the ordinary form, which 

 occurs here as a common garden weed." Sagina apetala, or "pearl- 

 wort," which in England grows in dry, gravelly, or sandy places, 

 Dr. Mueller considers as decidedly indigenous. Sl;ne Gallica, 

 0? "cateh-ily/' is becoming a troublesome weed in gardens, and 



