Monsoon, when the wind blows steadily off shore, and when 

 all minor vegetation is wholly burnt up. Such however is 

 the extreme aridity of that particular line of intertropical 

 coast, that not a single Epiphyte was observed, and but 

 two ferns ; a Blechnum and a Gleichenia ; and one Palm, a 

 Livistona of Mr. Brown. Of the West coast, properly so 

 denominated, little or nothing is known of its Orchidaceous 

 vegetation. We however learn from the correspondence of 

 Mr. Drummond, who has charge of the public garden at the 

 Swan River colony, that many fine terrestrial species have 

 been observed, in their respective seasons, in the vicinity of 

 Perth and other parts of that settlement ; but of what 

 genera, we have yet to be informed. [This was written long 

 before the publication of our Sketch of the Vegetation of Swan 

 River. J 



During the voyage of the Investigator in 1802, Mr. 

 Brown discovered twenty species on the south coast belong- 

 ing wholly to genera frequent at Port Jackson, with the 

 exception of the beautiful Epiblema — a genera closely allied 

 to Forster's Thelymitra. No Epiphyte has been seen upon 

 that, generally speaking, very arid coast. 



From what I have advanced, it will readily appear that 

 the existence of Orchidaceous Epiphytes is confined to the 

 eastern and perhaps to the northern shores of New South 

 Wales ; and as not the semblance of one (not even Dendro- 

 bium aemulum, M. Br., so frequent on the trunks of Euca- 

 lyptus resinifera, and in the dry forests around Port Jackson) 

 has been seen, either by myself or other travellers in the 

 interior of that country, at least between the parallels of 28°. 

 and 35°. , their range westerly from the actual sea coast may 

 be truly said to be limited to the main chain, or dividing 

 range, beyond which, moreover, in a westerly direction, 

 neither Alsophila australis, nor the Corypha of Port Jack- 

 son have ever been observed.* 



* The absence of arborescent Ferns and Palms in the interior on the 

 western side of the Blue Mountain-ranges, is to be attributed to the want of 

 shade from high lands, (those hills that are scattered on its surface being of 

 inconsiderable elevation, and generally of a sandstone rock,) and to the 

 nonexistence of dense humid forests. The whole internal country traversed, 

 beyond the meridian of 149°., declining westerly to a low level region, being 



