Mar. 31, 1908. The Queensland Naturalist, 
15 
attached to the name of any one of our Australian plants, 
it is an indication that this plant occurs beyond the limits 
of the continent ; and that Linnaeus (or those whom he 
followed), liad Australian plants from extra-Australian 
regions before him when he bestowed or adopted the names 
which are now credited to his authority, as was actually 
the case. Thus no reference to a single Eucatypt occurs in 
his voluminous writings. 
When it is called to mind that Cook’s visit to Australia 
(during which he was accompanied by the naturalist 
Banks, the botanist Solander — himself a pupil of Linnaeus, 
and the botanical artist, Parkinson) took place in 1700 
(August-May) ; and that the plant collections, the property 
of Sir Joseph Banks, were not “ worked up ” on his return 
in 1701, or indeed, for some years afterwards, although 
descriptions and illustrations of them had already been 
prepared, not in fact, until 1863 in many cases, when the 
first volume of the Flora Australis was issued ; and that 
Linnaeus’ descriptive works practically ceased in 1774, 
when severe illness overtook him ; one can understand why 
this silence with respect to our vegetable products arose. 
An apparent exception may be found with respect to 
Banksia, and four of the species of the genus that we know 
best. These, however, were not named or described by 
Linnaeus, but by his only son, and not till three years after 
the death of his father ; the definition of the genus, and 
the account of the species alluded to appearing in the 
Supplementum Plantarum (1781) of the younger Linnaeus. 
It is not difficult to assign reasons why specimens of these 
peculiar Australian plants only were communicated ; the 
name Banksia bestowed upon them might be regarded 
as suggestive of the explanation of the fact. 
Linn.^tts in Relation to His Work on Animals. 
Introductory. 
Hitherto, emphasis has been given to Linnaeus’ botanical 
work, although it was mentioned in referring to his Systema 
Naturm (of which the Folio Edition, 1735, and the Octavo 
one of 1753, are really separate productions) that he dealt 
equally with animal life. Moreover, it has been told you 
also when considering his systems of naming living things, 
that zoologists to-day honour by acceptance both the titles 
and descriptions of the animal species that he recognised ; 
and that, in all claims for priority of discovery on behalf 
of investigators, they have decided that Linnaeus’ Systema 
Naturm (edition 1758) be the first and earliest book to be 
taken into consideration, when dealing with the names of 
species of animals ; reference to all previous writers being 
’ Scientific nomenclature from the point of view 
of the zoologist dating thus therefrom. 
