7S AUSTRALIAN BOTANY. 



AUSTRALIAN VEGETATION.i 



It has often been remarked by travellers and tourists that 

 there is great monotony in the scenery of Australia. Those, 

 however, who have explored our fern gullies, or climbed 

 our mountains, will not deny the fact that Australia possesses 

 greatly varied and much beautiful landscape scenery. Even 

 along the coast-line the lover of the picturesque will often 

 be fascinated with the spacious bays and well-wooded 

 successions of beach bordering them, and the bold bluffs, 

 headlands, and long stretches of rock-bound shore. 



To the enthusiastic collector of botanical specimens, 

 every yard of progress made through the inland districts 

 reveals fresh objects of interest. Fatigue is disregarded, as 

 one plant after another is added to the portfolio ; and 

 when, at the end of the day, the botanical treasures gleaned 

 are surveyed, the collector will feel well repaid for the toil 

 and trouble he has undergone in collecting them. Perhaps 

 some rare or curious plant — a great prize in the lottery of 

 search — will have rewarded his exertions ; but no day can 

 pass without numbers of specimens having been found 



1 This chapter has been written with the object of pointing out to 

 students of botany and others availing themselves of holidays and 

 visiting different parts of the colonies, some of the characteristics and 

 beauties of Australian vegetation. 



