278 MEMOIR OF DR. HARVEY. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



AUSTRALIA. 



Taking up again Dr. Harvey's journal-letters from Melbourne, 

 the first record to be noticed is a ride of seven miles to Mr. A.'s 

 diggings. On his way he observed the St. Mary's thistle, 

 " abundantly diffused and of gigantic size." The botanising 

 ground near Melbourne, he writes, "proved but scanty, the 

 fields being too well covered with grass to allow of many plants 

 save buttercups and daisy-like Composite. When carefully 

 looked for, a few minute plants may be found, among which is a 

 little Veronica, scarcely two inches high, but with large blue 

 flowers. About three miles from town, where the road struck 

 into a gum-tree forest, the grass was gay with a little starry 

 flower (Hypoxis vaginata), and a blue squill-like plant (Coesia 

 umbellata). A few Orchidese and a little Drosera were also 

 picked up. On a sandy heath Epacris impressa, to be seen at 

 the College or Glasnevin gardens, was extremely abundant, and 

 very beautiful. I had not met with it before. 



" The country around Geelong is like the curragh of Kildare, a 

 resemblance which struck me at once, and I suppose has struck 

 others also, for one of the neighbouring villages is called 

 Kildare." 



October 15th. I have had two weeks' experience of Port Fairy, 

 and have made a considerable collection of algse, but not so many 

 new species among them as I had anticipated. Perhaps the 

 most interesting one to botanists will be a new and perfectly 

 distinct Ballia, which I purpose calling BJRobertiana, a name 

 which will include in sound, though not in sense, both Robert 

 and Miss Ball. It is quite as beautiful under the microscope 



