NOTES OX THK INDIGENOUS PLANTS OF MELBOURNE. 167 



plumage turns to grej as winter comes onj the white patch on the wing is 

 very much clouded with black spots; and the legs are of a dull brownish red. 



This Guillemot is a very tame bird, and easy to be shot, as it allows a 

 boat to approach very near before it takes flight. They seldom attempt to 

 escape by diving, or if they do they probably rise again within shot. They 

 do not rise very easily off the water, and their feet often come in contact 

 with the crest of a wave just as they are rising; and in spite of all his hurry, 

 the round, plump little fellow is fairly tripped up, and down he comes souse 

 into the water again, head foremost. 



The Black Guillemot sits on shore in an erect position, but on the floor 

 of a room it does not seem able to walk at all; for while the Common 

 Guillemot stumps about with great activity and ease, the other crawls about 

 upon his stomach, pushing himself along with his legs and wings, without 

 trying to stand up. 



I may conclude by remarking that the flesh of this kind is much superior 

 to that of the other Guillemots and Razor-bill. 



(To be continued.) 



NOTES ON THE INDIGENOUS PLANTS OF MELBOURNE, 



VICTORIA. 



BY SAMUEL HANNAPORD, ESQ., JUN. 



Although I am at present but very imperfectly acquainted with the 

 Botany of Australia, yet, during my short residence in this colony, I have 

 met with nearly one hundred and fifty plants almost in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of Melbourne, which were new to me, and are probably unknown 

 to many of the readers of ^"'The Naturalist." The parts which I have explored 

 most diligently, are the banks of the Yarra Yarra, a river which rises some 

 considerable distance in the interior, amongst the mountains, and flows down- 

 wards through Melbourne, emptying itself into the sea at Hobson's Bay, about 

 eight miles below the town. 



It is quite cheering to persons newly arrived, to come up this pretty 

 winding river, after the monotony and dreariness of a long sea voyage, and 

 see on each side new forms of vegetation, with the Swallows cheeping 

 and twittering overhead, recalling home associations; various LihellidcB and 

 Lepidoptera of varied hues flying around, and a bright blue sky above, such 

 as is seldom seen in England, reconciling them at once, (particularly If they 

 be true lovers of nature,) to the new country. 



The vegetation round the town consists principally of various species of 

 Eucalyptus, (Gum tree,) as E. rostrata, (Red Gum,) E. Saccharijiua, (Manna 

 tree,) which produces a sweet substance ("not a true sugar,") called Mannite; 

 Wattles; and The Oaks, {Gasitarina.) The leaves of some of the Eucalypti 

 present a dotted appearance, which is caused by the presence of numerous 



