40 Topp. WiM--fforers of Smith Westtrii Auslvalin. [v.^'^xxXMl 



and low shrubs is the frequency ot tree Banksias of various 

 species, of Paper-barks and other Melaleucas, of the Xylo- 

 melum (locally called "Prickly Pear"), and of the Agonis 

 (locally called the " Peppermint "). Eucalypts near the coast 

 were comparatively rare, and I saw no Acacias except one 

 small spiny shrub, A. pulchclla, very much flattered by its 

 specific name and by Bentham's clescription — " an elegant 

 shrub." I suppose it is variable in height and habit. The 

 Paper-bark Tree, Melaleuca leucodendron, is much stouter and 

 taller than our swamp tea-trees, and grows in grass country, 

 though possibly its roots may be in underground water. It 

 is often 40 or 50 feet high, with a stem one or two feet in 

 diameter, and with stout, more or less horizontal or pendent and 

 twisted branches, not milike those of the common oak, though 

 not so wide-spreading. Its outer bark consists of many layers 

 of fibrous, papery sheets. This tree is remarkable as having 

 the widest distribution of the Melaleucas, being found in New 

 South Wales, Queensland, North Australia, in the Indian 

 Archipelago, and the Malay Peninsula, and as being the only 

 Austr.'ilian Melaleuca f(mnd outside our continent. The 

 Willow Myrtle, Agonis /lexuosa, known as Peppermint, is a 

 particulaT-ly graceful tree, and is abundant round Bunbury. 

 It attains the height of 50 or Go feet, and is endemic in south- 

 west Australia. Its bnmches droop and carry willow-sluqx'd 

 leaves, and bear on the outer side abunrlant clusters of small 

 white flowers. These give the trees the appearance of having 

 received a fall of snow. This tree bears flowers when only 

 two or three feet high. For some reason Mueller considers it 

 one of the best of evergreen, trees for cemeteries. I am glad 

 to say that I <^oukl admire its graceful form without thinking 

 of graveyards and tiombstones. 



On the grass lands and among the send) I saw many 

 Droseras and ("andoUeas (Stylidium). several species of Hibbertia. 

 Tetratheca, and Pimelea new to me, endemic in Western 

 Australia, and probably confined to the south-west of that 

 State. The most remarkable Drosera was D. gigantea, which 

 rises three or four feet above the ground, has a slender but 

 stiff woody stem, with numerous horizontal, slender branches 

 terminating in ])ani(les of small white flowers. It takes one 

 by surprise to find that this erect, slender shrul) is a Sundew. 

 Other Droseras had large crimson flowers. This genns is very 

 largely represented in Wi-stern ^Australia, about 45 species 

 (Maiden) being found there. The "Second Census" gives 28 as 

 endemic out of 43 then known in Australia. 



The " Prickly Pear," Xylomehim occidentalis, derives its 

 substantive name from the fruit, whicli somewhat resembles 

 an inverted pear, anu the adjectival qualification from the 



