222 
NOTICES OF SERIALS. 
with additions of such plants as have been gathered there during several visits in 
former years—viz., between 1833 and 1854. Notices of New Books—The History 
of British Ferns, by E. Newman ; First General Report of the Government Bo¬ 
tanist on the Vegetation of the Botany of Victoria, dated September, 1853, and 
printed by order of the Council. By some mistake the name of the author of this 
able report (Dr. Muller) is not once mentioned in the pages of the June Phytolo- 
gist. The full amount of the species obtained by Dr. Muller, in his journey over 
more than 1,500 miles, considerably exceeds 1,100. He found that the order of 
Leguminosse prevails in Victoria over all the other orders, as in Western Australia; 
and that the Composite, far exceeding in South Australia, and, indeed, throughout 
the world, any other group, ranks here as the second order. The Report closes 
with an account of the Botanic Gardens, which are in a most prosperous state, 
and reflect great credit on their able superintendent. Annexed is a Botanical 
Report, principally relating to the Eucalyptidse and Cassuarinse of Victoria. New 
Holland, by W. Swainson, Esq., F.R.S., the well-known zoologist. It would 
appear that, in his desire to promote the cause of botany, the late Lieutenant 
Governor, Mr. Latrobe, commissioned Mr. Swainson to study and report on the Tim¬ 
ber of the colony, particularly the Gum Trees (Eucalypti), and the Australian Pines 
(Cassuarinas). Upon this Report of Mr. Swainson we make no comment for the pre¬ 
sent ; satisfied as we are that much that looks mysterious and marvellous now will 
be made clear before long. Mr. Swainson is a man of acknowledged ability, and 
though some of his accounts be startling, yet we feel confident they will turn out 
correct; and, we are sure, his knowledge has not been acquired without years of 
study. We wish we could have from him a report of the zoology of the district 
surveyed, which, we think, would prove as interesting as the botany. Proceedings 
of Societies—the Phytologist Club, 157th Sitting, May 20—Mr. Newman, President, 
in the chair; Botanical Society of Edinburgh, April 13—Professor Balfour, Presi¬ 
dent, in the chair. A most interesting paper was read by Dr. W. L. Lindsay, on 
the Dyeing Properties of Lichens. Mr. J. Kirk sent specimens of a Potamogeton 
from Lough Corrib, which Mr. Babbington thought was, perhaps, P. sparganifolius 
(Fries'). 
No. 158, July:—(W. Millen) A List of the more Interesting Plants, found 
lately near Belfast, and their latest discovered additional localities. This list has 
been revised and corrected by the Rev. W. M. Hind, F.B.S., who is particularly 
well acquainted with the botany of the counties Antrim and Down. We could 
have wished that the words rare, very rare, &c., had been affixed to the locali¬ 
ties given—for instance, the second plant in the list, Glaucium luteum, we think? 
although there is nothing in the list to say so, must be very rare in the habitat 
given, as we, on careful search, never found more than a single specimen. Slieve- 
Donard—a lofty mountain in the vicinity of Newcastle Co. Down—is given as a 
locality for the beech fern (Gymnocarpium Phegopteris), one of the very rarest of 
the Irish ferns. (D. Moore) Notes on some rare plants, including Ajuga pyra- 
midalis, in Arran. Two plants of the pyramidal Bugle were found on the island, 
and this is the first and only discovered Irish habitat. (J. G. Baker) Contributions 
to British Lichenology; (A. Hambrough) Occurrence of Arum Italicum, at Steep- 
hill, Isle of Wight; (J. R. Kinahan, M.B.) A List of the Ferns, and their allies, 
found in the county Dublin, with special reference to the Dodder Valley. Perhaps 
few more lovely localities exist in the county of Dublin, than the Vale of the 
