sions on his mind ; but on the contrary convinced him of the great 

 truth, that the Supreme power to which the universe owes its exis- 

 tence, called purposely forth those wonderful and specifically ever 

 unalterable structures of symmetry and perfection, structures in 

 which a transit to other species would destroy the beautiful harmony 

 of their organization, and would annihilate their power to perform 

 those functions specially allotted to each in this great world from the 

 morn of creation to the end of this epoch. But be it understood, 

 nature only created species, occasionally but not permanently ob- 

 literated in their characters by hybridism. Genera and orders are 

 merely the strongholds around which we arbitrarily array them to 

 facilitate generalization, to ease the search and to aid the memory. 

 Hence the limitation of these must depend entirely on the individual 

 view of the observer, and therefore be ever vacillating ; but this 

 should not finally be the fate of the species. 



The author, in conclusion, cannot suppress a hope of seeing our 

 collections of animals and plants of the Chatham-group completed 

 through the exertions of those residents who feel an interest in the 

 works of nature which surround them. For scientific researches in 

 lands mainly occupied by savages, the missionaries enjoy unparalleled" 

 facilities. But although these self-denying bearers of civilization 

 have exercised throughout the last centuries a not unimportant 

 influence on the task of our storing together the treasures of natural 

 science, an influence never more gloriously exemplified than in the 

 labours of Dr. Livingstone during our time, it cannot be concealed, 

 that if the devoted men, who carry abroad the word of God, were 

 more generally cognizant how often it is alone as yet in their power 

 to reveal also many of the marvellous works of God, of which no 

 spot, however desolate and lonely, is devoid, the universal history 

 of nature would be much earlier written, and on the divine labours 

 of the mission throughout the globe would be shed an additional 

 brilliant lustre. 



Botanic Gardens, 

 Melbourne, 15th September, 1864. 



