52 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



subspicata, and villifera the stipules of the floral leaves are also 

 large, but the bracteoles are inserted close under the calyx, &c. 



In the specimens examined minute abortive flowers have 

 occasionally been observed among the fertile ones. 



Named in honour of the finder, Mr. G. Weindorfer, who, 

 during the last few years, has done much to extend our knowledge 

 of the habitats of Victorian plants. 



Some Long-collected Plants. — In the Victorian Naturalist, 

 for December, 1900 (vol. xvii., p. 148), will be found an article 

 by the late Prof. Morris, Litt. D., giving the history of a work on 

 Australian plants, the first part of which had just been issued by 

 the Trustees of the British Museum. The object of the work 

 was to describe the plants collected by Mr. Banks, better known 

 in later years as Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society, 

 during his visit to New Holland in 1770. Now it is interesting to 

 learn that Mr. J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Government Botanist of 

 New South Wales, has recendy received a valuable addition to 

 the National Herbarian of that State from the Trustees of the 

 British Museum, in the shape of a large series of the actual 

 specimens collected by Banks and his assistant. Dr. Solander, at 

 Botany Bay, more than one hundred and thirty-five years ago. 

 The collection was made during the stay there of Captain Cook's 

 exploring ship, the Endeavour. They appear to have been well 

 preserved, and Mr. Maiden is able to recognize all the unlabelied 

 species. The botanizing was done between 28th April and 6th 

 May, 1770. Banks, as the notes in his journal indicate, took 

 the greatest pains to dry the specimens before packing them up, 

 but on 26th June, when the Endeavour was beached at what is 

 now Cooktown, after striking the Barrier reef, he discovered that 

 many of his treasures had got a soaking in the salt water which 

 entered the ship. Examination of the relics shows, says Mr. 

 Maiden, that most of them were broken off, not cut. Some of 

 the grasses bear marks of fire, showing that the blacks used to 

 burn blady grass, or at all events that they used to have bush 

 fires. Some show insect ravages, and on one is a cocoon. A 

 flannel flower has acquired a deep brown colour through the 

 eff"ects of time. Mr. Maiden rejoices in the fact that Banks's 

 name will for all time be associated with the native honeysuckle, 

 named Banksia, after him. An attempt which has been made to 

 substitute " Isostylis " for Banksia, Mr. Maiden scouts as doomed 

 to total failure. Of the 600 specimens which have come to hand, 

 a few represent the extensive collection made by Banks at 

 Endeavour River, Queensland, while Cook's ship was undergoing 

 repair. 



Early Flower.s. — The first blossoms of the Silver Wattle, 

 Acacia dealbata, were picked at Kew on ist July. Notes of other 

 early flowerings are desired. 



