president's address. 23 



have helped to make this early nesting moie general, as in this 

 climate, such trees, as well as other subtropical garden-plants, 

 are covered with flowers, supplying winter-food for these hum- 

 ming-birds more plentifully than the native plants formerly did. 

 But whether or not, my boy (eight years old) found three nests 

 of this species within a stones throw of our house, all on low 

 branches of Eucalyptus (or Australian blue-gum) between Feb- 

 ruary 15th and 20th. The trees are covered most of the winter 

 with large flowers, in which there is much honey, and the Acacias 

 of several species, also blooming at this season (like most anti- 

 podal trees) have been very attractiA^e to the hummers as well 

 as to the minute insects on which they feed. They have like- 

 wise utilised the long, silky stamens of some Acacias in building 

 their nests, though still using chiefly the down from various 

 native plants." He mentions having found young birds of the 

 species mentioned, which must have been hatched as earlv as 

 March 1st. 



Id any review of work on the pollination of Australian plants, 

 one cannot omit that done by Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald on the Aus- 

 tralian Orchids. Tn this work, begun in 1875, there are inanv 

 references to the pollination of Australian species. I would 

 like to say here that I think it is a distinct loss to science that 

 the publication of this work has been discontinued. T had the 

 honour, and the very great pleasure of knowing Mr. Fitzgerald, 

 and of collecting orchids for him for many years. I know that 

 his work was a labour of love, and that a large pait of it still 

 remains unpublished. Every one who has studied the orchids 

 knows how valuable his book is, particularly for its clearing up 

 the confusion which arose from the description and naming of 

 plants from dried specimens. Any description of an orchid 

 which is not based on the examination of fresh specimens is not 

 of much value. I would urge that the question of the continu- 

 ation of Mr. Fitzgerald's great work, as a State undertaking of a 

 special character, should not be lost sight of. 



Before closing, T would like to once more draw attention to 

 the subject of bird-destruction. Consideration of the problems 

 of pollination of Australian plants shows that many of the most 



