BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
87 
border of the wood, we inclined to the right, along the upper 
end of the field to which it leads, and here in a spot directly 
North of Cuxton Church, both plants occurred in abund- 
ance. 
NOVEMBER 16 th. 
J. E. Grey, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
Mr. W. M. Chatterley read the following Paper “ On the 
Advantages of Botanical Statistics , illustrated by the Order 
Conifer ce.” 
In alluding to the tribe of the Coniferae, I do not intend on 
the present occasion, to call your attention either to Botanical 
structure or affinities of the plants comprising that order ; 
indeed, were I to do so, I could but repeat the words of 
Lambert, Richard, Brongniart or Brown, to whose works 
I beg to refer you for any information on this subject ; to 
those of the latter especially, whose able scientific memoir on 
this subject, is attached as a part of the Appendix to Captain 
King's Voyage to New Holland. 
I wish only to draw the attention of the Society to the 
statistics of this tribe in particular, and to the subject of the 
general connection between the science of Botany and that of 
statistics, a connection which I am inclined to think has not 
met with that attention, which its importance would seem to 
have demanded. Surely, if it be interesting, as it cannot be 
doubted but that it is to all men of enlarged and philan- 
thropic views, to know that through their own labours, and 
the labour of their predecessors and coadjutors a large 
amount of benefit has accrued to society ; so it can be no 
less interesting, nay important, to attempt to appreciate, as 
far as data will permit the amount of good thence derived, 
and to calculate its progressive increase. 
This we are enabled to do though imperfectly, by reference 
to Statistical Tables ; I say imperfectly, for these Tables are 
themselves as yet imperfect, even as far as regards the com- 
mercial relations of our own country, and it is but in few 
others that their importance is acknowledged by the ruling 
