BY E. P. RAMSAY, F.L.S., ETC. 727 



nostril 0*25 ; the bill strong and wide at the base, from in front 

 of the nostril to the tip laterally compressed, with the culmen 

 strongly curved to the tip. 



Sab. St. Christoval. (Morton.) 



Since this paper was read I have received another large 

 collection of birds from the Solomon Islands, which contains a 

 fine series of Astur albigularis, (Gray), these tend to prove that 

 my A. versicolor is a stage of plumage of A. albigularis, but a 

 large series must be carefully sexed before the matter can be 

 decided ; I will lay before the Society a paper on this subject 

 without delay. 



Fructification of the Bunya. 



By the Hon. James Norton, M.L.C. 



About forty years ago it began to be noticed that the Araucaria 

 excelsa (Norfolk Island Pine) produced large cones abundantly, 

 and the market gardeners at once began to plant the nuts 

 obtained from these cones freely, but were disappointed on find- 

 ing that none of them germinated. To botanists the reason was 

 obvious, for the plant being monoecious had not yet produced the 

 male cones or catkins, as they should perhaps be called. 



In the year 1852 I noticed in "Curtis' Botanical Magazine, 

 Tab. 4365," the figures and description of the cones of A. 

 coluvmaris, which were stated to have been forwarded to England 

 by Mr. Charles Moore, who was then, as now, Director of our 

 Botanical Gardens. This induced me to examine the Norfolk 

 Pines carefully, and, singularly enough, I immediately found 

 them commencing to produce the male cones in profusion. 

 1U 



