THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 113 



One of the features here are the splendid plants of Poinciana, 

 also the Poinsettias, which, with their magnificent crimson 

 bracts, could be seen for a mile distant. It would take me a 

 long time to tell ycu what I saw in this charming spot, and to one 

 who had for years been accustomed to grow stove-plants, such as 

 Crotons, Ixoras,Marantas,&c.,in artificial heat, the pleasure of see- 

 ing the same kinds of plants growing in the open air must naturally 

 cause wonder and surprise. Coffee trees, too, were here in full 

 berry, and appeared to me to take the place of the hollies of the 

 old land. But here I must stop, and can only say that Nature has 

 done a lot for Brisbane, the river running alongside the gardens 

 nearly the whole way, although this in itself is not altogether an 

 unmixed blessing, as during the great flood, I was informed by 

 Mr. M'Mahon, the curator, portion of the gardens was 20 feet 

 under water ; hence it is that many trees, the Moreton Bay pines 

 especially, have suffered greatly. Having, as I said before, spent 

 an hour or two in the gardens, the real business part of the trip 

 had to be attended to, and for a whole fortnight we were kept at 

 it from 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. Still the early morning visit to the 

 gardens was one at least of the great pleasures of our visit. 



Having a few hours to spare, I paid a visit to the Brisbane 

 Museum, where I saw many things of interest, the ethnological 

 collection from New Guinea being especially fine. I also met 

 Mr. H. Tryon, who is Entomologist to the Department of 

 Agriculture, and with him spent a profitable time amongst his 

 collections. Unfortunately, Mr. F.M.Bailey, Government Botanist, 

 was at Cape York, so I did not see him ; but his son was very 

 good, and showed me anything I wished to see, including his 

 fine herbaria of Queensland plants. 



I was much struck by the absence of wild flowers about 

 Brisbane, as, although we made several short trips into the 

 country, only one plant, a Flindersia, was seen in bloom. Birds 

 were also scarce, and of insects I saw none, save a few butterflies 

 which were sailing about in the gardens of the Acclimatization 

 Society, and in which, by the way, some of the finest specimen 

 plants in Brisbane are to be seen. Brisbane contains many 

 ardent entomologists, and the many pleasant hours which I 

 spent with them will not soon be forgotten. 



Before leaving Brisbane we went to Redlands Bay, a lovely 

 spot, and at which place 1 had my first sight of a pineapple 

 plantation. Picture to yourself miles of these plants, all in full 

 bearing, and bananas in endless numbers. I was greatly struck 

 with the rich soil here, but as the captain of the steamer — the 

 latter kindly lent by the Government — was anxious to get back 

 before dark, we were only able to make a hurried examination 

 of the place. Our last trip was to Woombye, on the Northern 

 line, about 60 miles from Brisbane, which place I had been 



