352 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
flowered species of this genus comes into blossom, its leaves are | 
withered, and the plant draws all its nourishment from the - 
succulent nature of its flower-stalk. I pinned some specimens 
of this pretty little Orchis against the thin white curtain of a 
window, when the lower flowers were just beginning to open; 
I had the pleasure of seeing all the buds on the plant expand 
in succession, any thing that shook the curtain bringing the 
lower part of the flower in contact with the anthers. Un- 
fortunately, you cannot see these curious plants perform - 
their operations with the dried specimens I transmit to you 
of them, or you would I am sure be much delighted with 
them.’ Five fine species of Lasiopetalum grow on Wallup, of 
which I send you specimens. ee 
- Large masses of rock appear on the surface on the sides of 
the Darling range, apparently laid bare by the action of the 
waters of the ocean at some period of their existence, until we 
reach the height of the ironstone gravel formation, about 
1000 feet above the level of the sea, which appears never to 
have been covered by the waters of the ocean. There seeme: 
to be something remarkable in the small extent of rock to 
be met with in this country of any one sort. In one places 
when you examine one group of rocks, you may find * 
to be compact rose-coloured granite, very like specimens Ihave 
seen which were said to be part of Pompey's pillar; the next. 
group, which may not be 100 yards off, is blue compact gran 
ite, or a coarse sort of brescia composed of quartz and feld- i 
spar, or micaceous slate, whinstone, hornblende, actinolite, 
asbestos in several forms, quartz, either massive or formed meo 
beautiful flag-stones, or several other rocks which Ido 5o 
_ know the names of, but I will send you small bits of them 1 
_ the box. The soil is as various in character as the rocks it 
` Covers, being found richest where angular masses of whin 
. Stone appear on the surface. On Greenmount, the n: T 
eerdup, there is a good deal of very rich red earth, ap- 
formed by the decomposition of a slaty rock resem- 
> This rock, in its natural state, is ex psec 
the stream which runs to the north 
