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A second paper, intituled ‘ Botanical Report, by William Swainson, 
Esq., F.R.S.,’ is also in our hands; and, we regret to say, is, to our- 
selves, exceedingly unsatisfactory. Mr. Swainson gives a list of two 
hundred and thirteen species of Cassuarine, of which five only are 
marked as undetermined ; all the rest having Latin as well as English 
names. It would appear, from the heading of the list, that all these 
species are new to science, “ List of species of Cassuarine, or Austra- 
lian Pines, discovered, named, and described by Mr. Swainson.” 
- Subjoined is Mr. Swainson’s report, which we leave without com- 
ment; being unwilling, on the one hand, to commend what conveys 
with it so little of the appearance of solid information ; and, on the 
other hand, being particularly anxious to avoid prejudging a matter 
of which we confess ourselves to be very ignorant. We sincerely hope 
Mr. Swainson’s researches may prove to be as carefully conducted as 
their results appear to be marvellous. We may, perhaps, be allowed 
to remark that the title is scarcely precise: should it not rather run 
thus :—“ Report on Eucalyptide and Cassuarine” ? 
“Ido myself the honour of laying before your Excellency, in the 
enclosed papers, the result of my botanical investigations in this 
province. 
“ My chief attention, for the first five months after being located 
here, was directed to the family of Kucalyptide, or gum trees, among 
which I have discovered five distinct and well-marked genera, hitherto 
unknown as such, and apparently peculiar to Victoria ; together with 
two other new genera, which occur also in the adjacent province. 
- “ Having had no accommodation for arranging the different species 
for comparison, &c., I have been necessitated to pack them up as fast 
as collected. It is quite impossible, therefore, for me to state, with 
any degree of certainty, the number of new species contained in the 
above genera.. The packets of dried specimens, seeds, and capsules, 
will be seen to form a grand total-of 1520. I am therefore disposed 
to think, that even if two-thirds may thereafter prove varieties only, 
there will yet remain more than 500 species, botanically distinct, only 
two or three of which I have found in New South Wales. 
“ My researches, in respect to timber trees (from causes already well 
known), have been quite unsuccessful. ‘The red gum (Canthocarpus, 
La.), and the straight stringy bark (Tricanthus, La.), are the only 
genera I have found whose wood is useful either for sawing or split- 
ling. Specimens of the former (of an unknown species), have been 
procured and sent to the. curator. The latter, of which there are 
