INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
15 
special works on the floi’a of most of the Austnilian Colonies 
are now provided, one for Queensland having been published by 
INlr. Bailey some time ago, and one for South Australia having 
been just issued by Professor Tate, who also brought geologic 
and zoologic considerations to bear on the vegetatioir there. 
J\lr. C. -AIooi •e has furnished the manuscript for the Floi-a of ISTew 
South Wales, with a prospect of early promulgation in a .special 
volume. Sir Jas. Hooker’s Flora.s of New Zealand and of 
Tasmania, quite gems, emanated already many years ago as 
one of the results of Sir .James Ross’s antarctic expedition. 
Though limiting these remarks to achievements of later times, 
r do not wi.sh to pass the name of Robert Brown, Ijecause Jiot 
only did he lay most extensively and fii'inly the basis for the 
.system of Australian vegetation, but it was he also, who took uj) 
again morphcdogy for plants, after the long interval since the 
origination of that branch-science by Wolft', just when it was 
resumed for animals by Hcjellinger.* 
Through gradually incj'easing facilities for multiplication in 
iconography now, so far as plants ai'e concerned, about one-tifth 
of the knoAvn species have become depictured. Of illustratefl 
monographies i]» vegetable natural history the most urgently 
re(|uired is one on Chai’aceae, an opu.s, Avhich would bo <tf h.ical 
interest in evei-y part of the world, and particularly here, whore 
this group of waterweeds abounds. 
In one particular respect splejidid chances for facilitation or 
acceleration of science- work are not rai’ely lost at opportune 
moments, namely, to acquire extensive authentic collections, the 
.accumulation of Avhich may have involved the saoritices of recre- 
.ative ordinary j)leasures through a whole life, the disbursement of 
a private fortune and the main-absrn-ption of a brilliant mind in 
ti.xed i-eseai'ch, whereby treasures may have been got together for 
material valuation simply unpriceable. Nowhere applies this 
more than in young colonies, where no opportunity .should be 
missed, whenever .such may suddenly arise at long intervals, to 
complete the working material from abroad by what may be 
otherwise utterly unobtainable. The securing of the Linnean 
collections, by the forethought of a British .servant to hi.s country, 
is an instance in point. 
The gifted Secretary of the subsection hrr Music in our gather- 
' A passage from the All^lre^:s is here omitteil, in which the names were given of 
^eieutists, prominent in Australia during recent periods and mostly yet active in researcli ; 
but it proved impossible witliin the precincts of a general discourse, however propitious 
the moment, to allude to every one, who had a ttained celebrity in Australian scientific 
life. A hope is entertained, that at future meetings of the Association full justice will be 
■lone within the special sections to the merits of various and res)>ective individual 
iliscoverers, who constitute now already quite a multitude of scientific worthies also in 
this part of the world. Two deviations from this course will be connteimuced by all with 
•Sue homage— to note especially the superb Decades, largely also paloiontologic, issued 
tiuring tlip last 30 years by the veteran Professor of the irelbourne University — and to 
bestow adequate recognition on the brilliant iiiauner in which the first President of the 
Australian Association maintains the fame of our eldest <Jbservatory. 
