4 
1 went, accordingly, for some distance along the La Trobe River, to 
the south-eastern coast of Uipps’ Land, passing some rich ravines, luxuriantly 
filled with two species of fern tree, Alsophila Australis and Dicksonia 
antarctica ; the former of which seemingly never accompanies the Dicksonia far 
inland, but remains in those vallies which slope towards the sea. Notwith- 
standing these geographical limits, the Alsojdiila, occupying generally the drier 
localities on the hills, recommends itself better for transplanting. 
After several weeks’ travelling in the neighbourhood of Port Albert, 
and many excursions through Wilson’s Promontory, I quitted Gipps’ Land, 
returning homeward along the coast. 
This journey, the lines of which extended over more than 1,500 miles, 
enriched my collections formed during the spring so far that they comprise 
probably now more than half the indigenous vegetation of this Colony, 
For, according to the Index which I have annexed, including also several 
plants discovered previously by Sir Thomas Mitchell and by His Excellency 
the Li('utenant Governor, there are known to me now already 715 species of 
Dicotyledonea^, belonging to 286 genera and 83 natural orders; 201 species 
of Monocotyledonea?, comprehending 100 genera and 21 natural orders ; and 
47 herns, containing 27 genera. About fifty other species, however, which I 
have not included in this general account, are not yet so exactly examined as 
to receive their true systematic position, and are consequently not enumerated 
in the list ; while fifty others, not indigenous, but introduced" species (marked 
with *), are likewise not taken into account, although they are not only 
naturalized beyond the possibility of extirpation, but even overpower the more 
tender indigenous plants. I regret that I was also obliged to omit fi-om this 
Index all the loAA^cr Acotyledonese (Mosses, Lichenastra, Lichens, Algm, and 
hungi), to the amount of at least 200 species, of which I coidd examine this 
wintt'r too fcAv to disj)lay them in a systematic arrangement. The full amount 
of species, therefore, considei-ably exceeds 1,100, belonging, with exclusion of 
the above-mentioned Acotyledonem and the foreign plants, to no less than 430 
genera and 108 natural orders — proportions which far surpass those of Western 
Australia, where more than twice this number of species (accordino- to the 
collections of Dr. Preiss) are only divided into exactly the same nmnber of 
genera already discovered here (430), and onl}’ into 91 families. 
Hie Index might have been increased Avithout difficulty to a two-fold 
number of names ; but through a long-continued examination of the Australian 
plants in a living state, I had the advantage of learning hoAV great is the 
uncertainty of many characteristics, Avhich are deemed, even by our oreatest 
authorities in science, sufficient for distinction. According to the mmexed 
enumeration, the proportion of the Dicotyledoneae to the Monocotyledoneai 
will be found, for that jiart of the country over which my investigations tins 
year extended, nearly as sev^en to tAvo, and corresponds, therefore, exactly with 
t le position Avhich these great divisions of the vegetable kingdom hold to each 
qttier m boutli Australia up to the thirty-fourth degree south latitude (as shown 
m my observations on the South Australian Flora, lately read before the 
aiinean Society ni London), and holds, likeAvise, the mean between the pro- 
ascertmiuirl by Robert BroAvn for Van Diemen’s Land and NeAV South 
ales ; while m Western Australia, as well as in South Australia, includimr 
to the thirty-first degree south latitude, the number of the 
“tjSoilor «f ■■i'-e to t,vo tl.a. of the Mo„o- 
I . Uto Cij|itogiiiiiic plants, however, favourial by a more liiiinid atntos- 
p leie, arc twice as mimerous in our province as in tile lust-mentioned Colonics 
beini; about e,|nal to a tliirj of the Dicotyledone®. 'colonies, 
I .1 “P Cryptoganiic plants, not less than 200 species, as tostifiid 
by the Index, arc proved to he as yet tindescribed. Some of'these ocenSed to 
me in .South Aastraiia ; and the descriptions of several others wiirrhably 
hnd a place an Dr. J. Hooker's forthcoming “ Fcomt op Vax D,E„p:»'i u™?: 
