158 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



orange, I was inclined to believe it referable to that species. In 

 Dr. R. B. Sharpe's excellent " Monograph of the Paradiseiidce 

 and PtilonorJiynchidiP," however, he states that the flank plumes 

 of P. augusta-victorice are golden-orange, and that it has a narrow 

 yellow collar on the throat like P. raggiana. This description 

 agrees with a specimen of P. augusta-victorice in the Australian 

 Museum collection, except that the flank plumes are not quite so 

 highly coloured as is shown in Dr. Sharpe's plate. The broad 

 yellow collar on the lower throat and distinct reddish-orange flank 

 plumes of P. granti preclude it from being confused with 

 P. augusta-victorice. The yellow collar on the latter measures 

 O.I inch in breadth, in P. granti it is 0.5 inch. The comparative 

 difference in the width of the collar on the lower throat may be 

 seen in the accompanying plate, reproduced from a photograph of 

 the skins of these species laid side by side. 



The specimen from which the above description is taken is a 

 native-prepared one, and is said to have been obtained in German 

 New Guinea. With it I have much pleasure in associating the name 

 of Mr. Robert Grant, Assistant Taxidermist of the Australian 

 Museum, who first brought it under my notice, and who has 

 been instrumental in acquiring several rare specimens of Para- 

 diseiidce for the Museum collection. Should not the present 

 species already have a vernacular appellation bestowed on it, 

 I propose to distinguish it under the name of Grant's Bird of 

 Paradise. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF VICTORIA, 



No. XV. 



By F. M. Reader, F.R.H.S. 



(Communicated by J. F. Haase.) 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Olub of Victoria, 11th Dec, 1905.) 



PuLTEN^A MAiDENi, F. M. Reader, sp. nov. 



An erect shrub from 2 to 3 feet high ; young branches slender, 

 almost terete, more or less pubescent or hoary. 



Leaves nearly flat, broad linear or oblong, frequently narrowed 

 towards the base and verging into a cuneate form, more rarely 

 obcordate-ovate, usually less than i/^-inch long ; rounded obtuse 

 or slightly emarginate, or with a minute callous point, usually 

 paler and hairy underneath, with a prominent nerve ; glabrous 

 above. Stipules small, lanceolate. Flowers few in small 

 terminal sessile heads ; each flower shortly pedicellate. 



Bracts imbricate, covering the pedicels, trifid ; middle lobe 

 very narrow and ciliate, the other much broader ; outer bracts 

 shorter, inner about i}^ lilies long. 



