1G8 



KEV. \V. WOOLLS, PH.D., F.L.S., ON THE 



in that of D'Eiitrccasteaux in 1792, also contributed 

 materially to the knoAvledge of the Australian Flora, as did 

 Mr. John White, Surgeon-General, who arrived in the colony 

 of New South AVales in 1788 with the "First Fleet," and 

 resided there for seven years. He sent to Europe specimens 

 Avhich were described by Sir John Smith, and figured in tht> 

 appendix to White's Voyage to New South \\'(ilei:<. It was in 

 the beginning of the present century, however, that the ex- 

 pedition of "Flinders (1801-1803) gave additional and 

 permanent interest to the study of Australian botany, 

 and introduced to European notice some of its most re- 

 markable features. Robert Brown, sometimes desig- 

 nated " The Prince of Botanists," and sometimes " The 

 Father of Australian Botany," accompanied Flinders as 

 naturalist and rendered imperishable service to the cause 

 of science by his observations. He had been induced by 

 Banks to give up his commission as ensign and surgeon for 

 the pursuit of botany, and the foresight of Sir J. Banks was 

 fully realised in the singular ability of his illustrious prot<!gi'. 

 After having visited the southern coasts of the continent, 

 and examined the flora from Port Jackson to the Blue 

 Mountains, he returned to Europe spoliis Orientis onitstus^ 

 bringing with him some 4,000 species of plants, either wholly 

 new to science or only imperfectly known, but destined to 

 employ him for several years in determining their relative 

 position in tlie sj'stem of classification Avliich experience had 

 taught hira to adopt. In his celebrated Prodromus Novce 

 Hollanclia' (1810), he may be said to have laid the foundati()n 

 of Australian botany on a sure basis, and to have initiatetl 

 that mode of arranging orders and genera which, with some 

 modification, all subsequent botanists have been content to 

 follow. This great Avork was composed in the midst of 

 Banks's collections, and so highly did Sir J. Banks value his 

 services, that by his will (1820) he bequeathed to him an 

 annuity of £200, together with the use and enjoyment dining- 

 his life of his library, herbarium, manuscripts, drawings, vS:c. 

 He also bequeathed to F. Bauer (the eminent artist and 

 companion of Brown who had been in Baidvs's employ- 

 ment for thirty years) an annuity of £300 on condition 

 of his continuing to delineate the flowers at Kcav. P)aiier's 

 illustrations of Australian flowers have always been valued 

 for their elegance and accuracy, and l)eing made undev 

 the direrttion of Brown exhibited the organic peculiarities on 

 which the great botanist based his system. Few men indeed 



