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Art. VI. — On the Octoclinis Macleayana — a new 

 Australian Pine. Described by Dr. Ferdinand 

 Mueller, Colonial Botanist of Victoria. 



[Read before the Institute 2nd March, 1857.] 



Ever since the progress of horticulture has been a scale for 

 testing the advancement of civilisation, and therefore since 

 time immemorial, the noble trees of the pine family have 

 been regarded with a favour equally great and deserved. 

 New explorations have added new forms, competing as gar- 

 den ornaments with those already reared, and thus the 

 interest for these plants has rather increased than diminished. 



I would recall to your recollection the veneration of the 

 ancients for the sacred cedar of Lebanon, recall the feelings 

 which have cheered our own hearts in seeing the unaltered 

 grandeur of the pine-forests of our native land at those times 

 when nearly Flora's whole empire is buried under snow" ; I 

 would recall all the impressions of those who glanced over the 

 abnormal yet stately Kauri pines, the magnificent Deodars, 

 the strange Ginkos, or our incomparable Araucarias, the 

 Bunya Bunya with its colossal fruit ; I would remind you 

 lastly of the discovery of Wellingtonia, that giant in the 

 empire of vegetation, now venerated as the highest and 

 imperishable monument of a late hero of the British nation. 



I scarcely need apologize when I direct your attention to 

 one indeed of the finest denizens of this tribe of plants, since 

 the generality of them have always been admired for their 

 unfading foliage, their symmetrical and graceful forms, their 

 perfect shade, — admired no less by the philosopher for' 

 their association with antiquity and history ; esteemed by all 

 for multifarious and universal utility. 



I point at present to an ornamental tree, peculiar but to a 

 small area of this country, a tree hitherto unknown to botanists 

 and horticulturists abroad, and interesting particularly to us 

 here as bearing the celebrated name of one of the most 

 zealous promoters of natural sciences in Australia, the name 

 of its discoverer, William S. M'Leay. 



The noble tree which forms the subject of this memoir, 

 occurs on forest slopes at Tacking Point of Port Macquarie, 

 and received in Mr. Shepherd's meritorious catalogue of 



