9 
by securing and arranging methodically the plants in growth at the Botanic Gardens 
until that work became impaired, and finally impeded, if not even largely destroyed ; yet 
I felt that an impetus should he given to the study, especially of native plants, at any 
place also far beyond the reach of gardens of instruction, and to any one, who might 
hesitate to address me in correspondence, however cheerfully 1 have named plants, 
and explained their scientific and utilitarian hearings almost daily during these twenty 
years and more. To lead, therefore, by some more direct and universal action the 
attention of the now numerous inhabitants of our colony to a more scientific con- 
templation of the plants which, in our winterless zone, present themselves successively 
throughout the year to our views, I required to furnish starting points on many 
places for local studies. This design I hoped most pleasingly and lastingly to attain 
by commencing the “ educational collections,” to be located in the rooms of such 
public institutions as during the ordinary hours of recreation and leisure are 
accessible. Each fascicle is to contain fifty species of natural specimens, in a pressed 
and dried state, and is to exhibit as many representative forms of genera and orders 
as conveniently at any particular period of issue can be gathered, and each species 
is to be accompanied by annotations on its scientific name, its English appellation (if 
such in rare instances exists), its geographic limits, and some of its literature. By 
adopting such a plan I could bring a number of typical forms of plants for inde- 
pendent identification or comparison of the plants of any district before the views 
of local observers, who could not fail to recognise from the indications thus offered, .at 
once, a multitude of plants, whether specifically or generically, at the very vicinity 
of their habitations. The first fascicle now contains representations of fifty genera, 
and nearly as many natural orders. The present edition, for mere want of financial 
support to my department, was limited to 100 copies, involving nevertheless the 
drying of about 10,000 specimens, inasmuch as each species had to be exhibited not 
only in flower, but in fruit also. This edition can be extended according to the 
means available, at any season for collecting and drying purposes, and for obtaining 
the necessary paper and board-covers. On the extent of these means must also 
depend the more or less rapid or tardy issue of subsequent fascicles. The two 
assistants of the department, Mr. G. Luehmann and Mr. C. Groener, deserve praise 
for having given up much of their time on holidays, and at early and late hours, to 
obtain and prepare a large share of the plants for the 100 copies of this first fascicle. 
In the embarrassed state of the department, also, this work had to be carried on under 
great disadvantage, because not even a single packing or drying room is left me, the 
only building space remaining at my disposal for the whole departmental work 
in every branch being the Museum room, which is overcrowded by the normal 
collections, and to which no building additions have been made during the last 
sixteen yeai-s, notwithstanding repeated solicitations. 
Thus the process of drying plants for any of our departmental purposes has to 
be carried out in the Museum room itself, while thereby the safety, of the normal col- 
lection became and still becomes endangered through the invasion of insects from 
freshly gathered plants. The irreparable injury, to which thus the Museum plants are 
exposed, may at any time befall not only plants gathered since the last thirty-five years 
by myself, but also specimens even from still remoter times, wliicn out of the hands of 
celebrated authors and travellers passed early into my care. A valuable chemical 
auxiliary for maintaining our Museum plants in preservation we have found in the 
bisulphid of carbon, applied according to M. Lenormand’s method, as recommended 
in the Bulletin de la Societe Botanique de France , 1858. In connection with this 
subject, it remains for me yet to bring under your favorable notice, that although the 
collections of Australian plants in our Museum are by far the largest in the world, > et 
the extra- Australian section of the Museum should be widely extended, lo attain this 
object speedily and advantageously a double measure is recommendable : hirst, the 
maintenance (as in former years) of a field collector in localities yet rich in new plants, 
with a view of affording us not solely some direct additions to our own Museum 
treasures, but, furthermore, also the means for interchanges, without which no con- 
tinuous access to plants of value and novelty can be obtained from institutions, of 
kindred tendency abroad ; nor could we keep pace with them in our own progressive 
study. The second measure would be to secure by purchase an extensive collection 
of extra- Australian museum plants, rich in authentic specimens ol those writers, who 
issued their phytographic works in the earlier parts ol this century, in order. to enable 
us here, for all times, to institute independent critical comparison, and to give us the 
No. 70. b 
