fic a tio u , is sw a llow ed up in th e g ig a n t ic co n c ep tio n o f a pow e r iu t c rm it t c n t ly ex o r c ised in th e d ev e lo p m
e n t , o u t o f in o r g a n ic e lem e n t s , o f o r g a n ism s th e m o s t b u lk y an d com p le x a s w’c ll as th e m o s t m in u te
an d s im p le ; and th e c o n sa n g u in ity o f ea ch n ew b e in g t o it s p r e - e x is t e n t n ea r e st a lly , is a b ar ren fa ct,
o f n o sc ien tific sig n ific a n c e or fu r th e r im p o r ta n c e to th e n a tu r a lis t th a n th a t it en a b le s h im to c la s sify
. T h e r ea liz a tio n o f th is c o n c ep tio n is o f co u r se im p o s s ib le ; th e b o ld e s t sp e cu la to r c a n n o t r ealiz e
tb e id e a o f a h ig h ly o rg an iz ed p la n t or a n im a l s ta r tin g in to life w ith in an area th a t h as b e en th e field
o f h is ow n e x a c t o b se r v a tio n * an d r e s e a r c h ; w'hilst tb e m o r e c a u tio n s a d v o ca te h e s ita te s a b o u t ad m
it t in g th e o r ig in o f th e s im p le s t o r g a n ism u n d e r su c h c ir cum sta n c e s, b e ca u se i t c om p e ls h is su b sc
r ib in g to th e d o c tr in e o f th e “ sp o n ta n e o u s g e n e r a tio n ” o f liv in g b e in g s o f e v e ry d eg r e e o f com p
le x ity i ll stru c tu r e an d r e fin em en t o f o rg a n iza tio n .
O n tb e o th e r h a n d , th e a d v o ca te o f c r e a tio n b y v a r ia tion m a y ha v e to s tr e tch liis im a g in a t io n to
a c c o u u t fo r su c h g a p s in a h om o g en e o u s sy s t em as w ill r e so lv e it s m em b e r s in to g en e r a , c la sse s, and
o r d e r s ; b u t in d o in g so h e is o n ly e x p a n d in g th e p r in c ip le w h ich b o th th e o r is t s a llow t o h a v e op e ra ted
iu th e r e so lu tio n o f som e g ro u p s o f in d iv id u a ls in to v a r ie t ie s : an d if, a s I h a v e en d ea v ou r ed to show,
a ll th o s e a ttr ib u te s o f o r g a n ic lif e w h ich are in v o lv e d in th e stu d y o f c la ssific a tio n , r ep r e sen ta tio n , and
d is tr ib u tio n , an d wdiicb ar e barren fa c ts u n d e r tb e th e o r y o f sp e c ia l c r ea tion s, m a y r e c e iv e a r a tio n a l
ex p la n a tio n un d e r a n o th e r th e o r y , i t is to th is la tt e r th a t th e n a tu r a lis t sh o u ld lo o k for th e m e a n s o f
p en e t r a tin g tb e m y s t e r y w h ic h e n v e lo p e s th e h is t o iy o f sp e c ie s , h o ld in g h im s e lf r ea d y to la y it dow n
w h en i t sh a ll pro v e as u s e le s s for th e fu r th e r ad v an c e o f s c ie n c e , a s th e lo n g se rv ic eab le th e o r y o f
• sp e c ia l c r e a tio n s , fou n d ed o n g e n e t ic r e sem b la n c e , n ow appear s t o m e to b e .
T h e a r g um en ts d ed u c ed from g e n e t ic r e sem b la n c e b e in g (in tb e p r e sen t s ta te o f s c ie n c e ) , a s far
as I ca n d isco v e r , ex h a u sted , I h a v e f e lt i t m y d u ty to r e - e x am in e th e p h en om en a o f v a r ia tion in
r e fe r en c e to th e o r ig in o f e x is tin g sp e c ie s ; th e s e p h en om en a I h a v e lo n g s tu d ied in d e p e n d e n tly o f
th is q u e s tio n , an d w h en tr e a tin g e ith e r o f w h o le F lo r a s or o f sp e c ie s, I h a v e m a d e i t m y c o n s ta n t aim
to d em o n s tr a te h ow m u c h m o r e im p o r ta n t an d p r e v a len t th is e lem e n t o f v a r ia b ility is th a n is u su a lly
a dm itted , a s a lso h ow d e ep i t lie s b e n e a th th e fo u n d a tio n s o f a ll o u r fa c ts an d r ea so n in g s c o n c e rn in g
c la s sific a tio n au d d istr ib u tio n . I h a v e h ith e r to en d ea v ou r ed to k e ep m y id e a s up on v a r ia tio n in su b j
e c t io n to th e h y p o th e s is o f sp e c ie s b e in g im m u ta b le , b o th b e c a u se a d u e r eg a rd to th a t th eo ry ch e ck s
a n y t e n d e n c y to ca r e le ss o b s e r v a tio n o f m in u t e fa c ts, an d b e ca u se tb e o p p o s ite o n e is ap t t o lead
to a p r e c ip ita te c o n c lu s io n th a t s lig h t diffe r en c e s h a v e n o sig n if ic a n c e ; wh er eas, th o u g h n o t o f
sp e c ific im p o r tan c e , th e y m a y b e o f h ig h stru c tu r a l and p h y s io lo g ic a l v a lu e , au d h e n c e r ev ea l affin
it ie s th a t m ig h t o th e rw ise e sca p e u s. I h a v e a lr ead y sta t e d h ow g r e a tly I am in d eb ted to M r .
D a rw in ’s f ra tio n a le o f t h e p h en om en a o f v a r ia tion an d na tu ra l s e le c t io n in th e p rod u c tion o f s p e c ie s ;
an d th o u g h i t d o e s n o t p o s itiv e ly e s ta b lish th e d o c tr in e o f c r e a tio n b y v a r ia tion , I ex p e c t th a t
ev e r y ad d itio n a l fa c t an d ob se rv a tio n r e la tin g to sp e c ie s w ill g a in g r e a t a d d itio n a l v a lu e from b e in g
v iew ed in r efe r en c e t o it , an d th a t it w ill m a te r ia lly a s s is t iu d e v e lo p in g th e p r in c ip le s o f c la ssifica tion
and d istr ib u tio n .
* It is a curious fact (illustrative of a w ell-known tendency o f the mind), that the few writers who have in imagination
endeavoured to push the doctrine o f special creations to a logical issue, eitli.er place the scene of the creative
effort in some unknown, distant, or isolated corner o f the globe, removed far lieyond the ken of scientific observation,
or suppose it to have been enacted at a period when the pliysical conditions of the globe differed both in degree aud
kind from what now obtain; thus in both cases arguing a d ignotmn ah ignoto.
t In this Essay I refer to the brief abstract only (Linn. Journ.) o f my friend’s views, not to Ids work now in
the press, a deliberate study o f winch may modify my opinion on some points whereon we differ. Matured conclusions
on tlicse subjects arc very slowly developed.
ON TH E FLORA OF AUSTRALIA.
§ 1.
G e n e ra l R em a rk s .
T h e F lo r a o f A u s tr a lia h a s b e en ju s t ly r eg a rd ed a s th e m o s t r em a rk ab le th a t is k n ow n , ow in g
to th e n um b e r o f p e cu lia r fo rm s o f v e g e ta tio n w h ich th a t c o n tin e n t p r e sen ts. S o n um e r o u s in d e ed
are th e p e cu lia r itie s o f th is F lo ra , th a t it h a s b e en c o n sid e r ed a s d iffe r in g fu n d am en ta lly , o r in
a lm o s t a ll it s a ttr ib u te s , from th o s e o f o th e r la n d s ; a n d sp e cu la tio n s h a v e b e en en te r ta in ed th a t
its o r ig in is e ith e r r eferab le to an o th e r p e r io d o f th e w o rld ’s h is to r y from th a t in w h ich th e e x is t in g
p la n ts o f o th e r c o n t in e n t s h a v e b e en prod u ced , or t o a sep a ra te c r e a tiv e effor t from th a t w h ic h
c o n tem p o ra n eo u sly p eo p led th e r e s t o f th e g lo b e w ith it s e x is t in g v e g e ta t io n ; w h ils t o th e r s a g a in
h a v e su p p o sed th a t th e c lim a te o r som e o th e r a ttr ib u te o f A u s tr a lia h a s e x e r ted a n in flu en c e on
it s v e g e ta tio n , diffe r in g b o th in k in d an d d e g r e e from th a t o f o th e r c lim a te s . O n e o f m y o b je c ts
in u n d e r ta k in g a g en e r a l su r v e y o f th e A u s tr a lia n F lo r a , h a s b e e n t o t e s t th e v a lu e o f th e fa c ts
w h ich h a v e g iv e n r is e to th e s e sp e cu la tio n s, an d t o d e te rm in e th e e x t e n t an d com p a ra tiv e va lu e
o f a d iffe r en t a u d la rg e r c la s s o f fa c ts w h ich are op p o sed to th em , an d w h ich m ig h t a lso g iv e som e
c lu e t o th e o r ig in o f th e F lo r a , an d th u s a c c o u n t fo r i t s p e cu lia r itie s . T h is I p u r su ed u n d e r th e
im p r e ssio n th a t it is th e sam e w ith th e s tu d y o f w h o le F lo r a s as o f s in g le sp e c ie s o r th e ir o rg an s,
viz. th a t i t i s m u ch ea sie r t o s e e p e cu lia r itie s th a n t o ap p r e c ia te r e sem b la n c e s, an d th a t im p o r ta n t
g en e ra l ch a ra c te r s w h ic h p ervad e a ll th e m em b e r s o f a fam ily or F lo r a , are to o o ften o v e r lo ok ed or
u n d e rv a lu ed , w h en a sso c ia ted w ith m o r e con sp icu o u s d iffer en c e s w h ic h en a b le u s to d ism em b e r th em .
T h e r e su lt h a s proved, a s I an tic ip a ted , th a t, th e g r e a t d ifficu lty b e in g su rm o u n ted o f c o lle c tin g all
th e m a te r ia ls an d so c la s s ify in g th em as to a llow o f th e ir b e in g g en e r a liz ed u p o n , th e p e cu lia r itie s
o f th e F lo ra , g r e a t th o u g h th e y be, are fou n d to b e m o r e ap p a r en t th a n r ea l, an d to b e d u e to a
m u ltitu d e o f sp e c ia litie s a ffe c tin g th e sp e c ie s, and to a c e r ta in e x te n t th e g en e r a , b u t n o t e x t e n d in g
t o tb e m o r e im p o r ta n t ch a ra c te r istic s o f th e v e g e ta t io n , w h ic h is n o t fu n d am en ta lly d iffe r en t from
th a t o f o th e r p a r ts o f th e g lo b e .
B e fo r e p r o c e ed in g t o th e d iscu ssio n o f th e e lem e n ts o f th e A u s tr a lia n F lo r a , I sh a ll sh o r t ly d e scr
ib e it s g e n e r a l ch a ra c te r, r iew ed in th e d o u b le lig h t o f a pcculiai- v e g e ta t io n au d as a p a r t o f th e
e x is t in g F lo r a o f th e g lo b e . I t s c h ie f p e cu lia r itie s a r e :—
T h a t i t co n ta in s m ore g en e r a an d sp e c ie s p e cu lia r t o it s ow n ar ea, au d few e r p la n ts b e lo n g in g to
o th e r p a r ts o f th e w o rld , th a n a n y o th e r c o u n tr y o f eq u a l e x t e n t . A b o u t tw o -fifth s o f i t s g en e r a , and
upwards o f se v e n -e ig h th s o f it s sp e c ie s are en tir e ly con fin ed to A u str a lia .
M a n y o f th e p la n ts h a v e a v e ry p e cu lia r h a b it o r p h y s io g n om y , g i i ln g in som e ca se s a ch a rac
te r to th e fo r e st sc en e r y (a s E u c a h jp ti, A ca c ia ;, P r o ie a c e a , Casuarina;, Conifera;), or are th em s
e lv e s o f a n om a lo u s or g r o te sq u e ap p earan ce (as Xan th o i'rh c ea , K in g ia , D e la b e ch e a , C a s im -in a ,
B a n k s ia , D r y a n d r a , e tc .).
A g r e a t m a n y o f th e sp e c ie s h a v e an om a lou s ol-gans, a s th e p itch e r s o f C eph a lo iu s, th e
dec id u ou s bark an d r em a rk ab le v e r tica l le a v e s o f th e E u c a ly p ti, th e p h y llo d ia o f A c a c ia , th e fle sh y
p ed u n c le o f E x o c a r p u s , th e in flo r e sc en c e au d ra g g ed fo lia g e o f m a n y P r o te a c e a .
M a n y g en e r a au d sp e c ie s d isp la y s in g u la r s tru c tu ra l p e cu lia r itie s, a s th e o v u le s o f B a n k s ia ,
e 2