650 president's address. 
been in error even as to natural orders of specimens of which he 
possessed leaves alone, and he refers to Professor Flower who had 
pointed out that leaves belong to a class of structures that are 
aptly designated adaptive as opposed to essential. He next 
points out that some of Heer's determinations of Podogonium of 
the Caesalpineae where specimens of leaves, fruits, and even 
flowers, some of them still attached are conclusive, and that from 
their relation to existing plants point to certain conclusions as to 
climate ; but in dealing with the reputed Australian groups he is 
strongly adverse. Speaking of Proteacese, he says " I have no 
hesitation in stating that I do not believe that a single specimen 
has been found that a modern systematic botanist would admit to 
be Proteaceous unless it had been received from a country where 
Protticcece were otherwise known to exist." As Mr. Benthamwas 
especially engaged at the time in the examination of Proteacese, I 
cannot do better than make one or two short quotations in order 
to give his own words. " The analysis and detailed descriptions 
I have had to make within the last few months of between four 
and six hundred Proteacece, and consequent investigation of their 
affinities and distribution have shown that the Order, as a whole 
is one of the most distinct and most clearly defined amongst 
Phanerogams. I do not know of a single plant intermediate in 
structure between that and the nearest allied 'Orders which I can- 
not say of any other of the large Orders I have worked upon. 
There is, moreover, especially amongst the Nucamentacece a re- 
markable definiteness in the majority of genera without inter- 
mediate species, whilst the whole Order exhibits the greatest 
uniformity in some of its most essential characters, derived from 
the arrangement of the floral organs and the structure of the ovary 
and embryo, accompanied by a truly protean foliage. All this 
points in my mind to unity of origin, very great antiquity and 
long isolation in early times." Speaking of the so-called fruits of 
Hakea and Embothria as determined and figured by Ettingshausen 
but of which the internal structure is not visible, he says that some 
are " quite as much like those of several Conifer ce, or of certain 
genera of Meliacece, Sapindacece and various other Dicotyledonous 
