Dec, 1909.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 107 



The work of the sub-committee, then, has been and still is to 

 find names for those plants not possessing any, to choose the best 

 when many are in use, and to find a better when the only one 

 current is deemed unfit for adoption. 



To obtain as great an amount of material as possible, lists of 

 names have been widely solicited through the Naturalist; by 

 means of notes in the Teachers' Gazette — the Education Depart- 

 ment being so much in sympathy with our objects that it nomi- 

 nated Messrs. H. B. Williamson, J. P. M'Lennan, and W. H. 

 Callister to act with the sub-committee ; in the daily press, and by 

 special appeal in certain directions. 



To further the sub-committee's object a " Recording Census " 

 was issued by Professor Ewart at the beginning of the year, and 

 this has been sent to all those who have been thought likely to 

 aftbrd us the information desired. This census is still available to 

 those wishing to help in the matter, and on application to the 

 National Herbarium a copy will be forwarded. In addition, the 

 various works dealing with Australian plants, as well as other 

 volumes, have been ransacked for matter. 



The result of this appeal has been somewhat discouraging, 

 though there is still hope that in the copies of the census not yet 

 returned much useful help may be obtained. Gratifying returns 

 have I)een already received from some of the schools and from, 

 in particular, Messrs. Leonard Rodvvay (Government Botanist 

 of Tasmania), St. Eloy D'Alton, H. B. Williamson, J. P. 

 M'Lennan, and Vroland, Dr. Morrison (of Perth), and Mr. W. 

 R. Guilfoyle, who consented to become a member of the sub- 

 committee, but was unfortunately prevented through illness from 

 attending any of its meetings. Of these eleven have been held, 

 when more than 700 names were considered and provisionally 

 adopted, and, judging from the names remaining in hand and 

 still undealt with, it would seem easy to find suitable vernaculars 

 for another 300 species. 



In view of the fact that perhaps more than 300 plants are 

 common to all the States of Australia, or to these and Tasmania, 

 and that so many of the Victorian forms occur in one or more of 

 the other States, it was very soon agreed that an early under- 

 standing with the botanical authorities there would be a matter 

 of much importance and particularly desirable, so that the names 

 ultimately adopted might receive the widest possible recognition. 

 In order to secure this desirable agreement, the various Govern- 

 ment Botanists were communicated with, and satisfactory replies 

 were received from Messrs. J. H. Maiden, Leonard Rodway, 

 and Dr. INlorrison. As a result of this the sub-committee is 

 working in complete harmony with Mr. J. H. Maiden, of Sydney, 

 and the names of species occurring also in New South Wales will 

 not be adopted without his approval. Also we have the assurance 



