8 
desired, a Herbarium, comprising 971 species of Victorian plants, has been prepared for 
the Public Library, where it will be gradually completed. The much more extensive 
University collection has been amply added to, particularly of extra-Victorian plants ; 
and, besides, more than 5000 specimens of dried pjlants have been furnished to learned 
associations or scientific men abroad, for which we may expect an occasional return to our 
public collection. The following gentlemen have been contributing to our herbarium 
during the year : — Messrs. W. de Blandowski, G. Brandis of Enfield, G. Francis of 
Adelaide, Dx\ Hance of Hong Kong, Mr. Walt. Hill of Brisbane, Professor Dr. Jessen 
of Greifswalde, Rev. Mr. King of Parramatta, Messrs. G. Maxwell of Albany, McGillivray of 
Williamstown, Chari. Moore of Sydney, A. Oldfield of Hobarton, Dr. W. Sonder of Ham- 
burgh, Mr. Thozet of Sydney, Dr. Williams of Queenscliff, Rev. Jul. Woods of Penola, 
and Mr. W. Woolls of Parramatta. 
The first fascicle of the “ Flora of Victoria,” for which some lithographic illustrations 
are prepared, would have been issued already, had it not appeared advisable to the Govern- 
ment Botanist to extend his botanical investigations previously towards Cape Howe and to 
the south-western points of the Australian Alps, both localities being hitherto phytologically 
unexplored, and likely to offer manifold transitions to the vegetation of East Australia or 
Tasmania, not only interesting for determining the range of the species, hut likewise 
essential for a perfect enumeration of the plants of Victoria. Meanwhile, the examination 
of our native plants did not cease, as may be observed from the annexed fourth Index 
of Indigenous Plants, comprising a list of mosses, lichenastra and lichens, prepared by 
Messrs. Mitten and Harnpe and Drs. Carl Mueller and Gottsche, and an enumeration of 
those phanerogamic species which, with the exception of several contributed by Mr. 
Wilhehni s tour to the Grampians, resulted from journeys of the Government Botanist since 
his return from the North Australian expedition, viz., to the south-west portion of the 
colony, to Cape Otway and Apollo Bay, and to the sources of the Yarra Yarra and 
La 1 robe Rivers, including also a few which remained undetermined in his former 
collections. This Index advances the hitherto examined plants of the colony to more than 
2200 species. The occurrence of the finest of all sea-weeds, Claudea elegans, at Western 
Port, the discovery of an epiphytal orchid (Sarcochilus Barklyanus) within our territory 
and, remarkably enough, only at one of its southern extremities, namely, at Apollo Bay 
remain equally interesting with recognizing in the genera Philydrum and Brasema the 
natural orders of Philydrcae and Gabon ibere as new to our Flora. 
Many of the plants of this colony have been critically re-examined with the aid of a 
valuable herbarium, now comprising plants from almost every part of the Australian 
continent hitherto revealed to geography. 
Of plants imperfectly known or recently discovered, and contained in our State 
collections, descriptions found publicity either in the " Transactions of the Philosophical 
Institute ’ or in the “ Fragmenta Phytographke Australia,” of which the fourth number is 
under preparation. In the latter it is the aim to accumulate gradually the literary material 
or a Universal Flora of Australia, and for the continuation of which dried plants from any 
part of the Australian continent and the adjacent islands, but particularly from remotest 
settlements and from the almost impenetrable, and therefore little explored, forests of 
Eastern Australia, would be gratefully received. 
The Government Botanists Office afforded likewise information to many cor- 
respondents in and beyond the Australian colonies, and was honored by His Excellency 
Sir ilham Denison with submitting for report those plants secured by Mr. A. Gregory in 
his last, journey, and by permission of Her Majesty's Home Government, to finlh the 
examination of the botanical specimens which resulted from the North Australian 
expedition. 
The intended erection of a larger building in the reserve wall 
ment Botanist the opportunity not only to deliver a regular course of 
offer to the Govern- 
phytological lectures 
