^oi' J Pescott and FRENCH j A Tear Among the Orchids. 75 



A YEAR AMONG THE ORCHIDS. A REMINISCENCE. 



By E. E. Pescott. F.L.S.. and C. French, Jun. 

 {Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 12th July, 1915. 

 The prosecution of one's nature hobby under natural con- 

 ditions is always pleasant, and as the scenes are revisited each 

 season to obtain fresh specimens and to conduct newer 

 observations a naturalist cannot Ik- other than reminiscent. 

 In fact, reminiscences " crowd thick and fast," till one is apt 

 to forget the present amidst the memories of the past. 



The orchid season of 1914-15 has been somewhat out of the 

 ordinary run of seasons, in that it presented many features 

 of interest, and. owing to the climatic vagaries consequent upon 

 the drought, many unusual developments were noticed. It 

 has been suggested, owing to the drought, that orchids were 

 far less prevalent during the past summer than in the normal 

 seasons. That was not the case, however. For instance, 

 between Ringwood and Bayswater — a famous orchid district — 

 in October, a total of twenty species was collected, with two 

 white varieties, making twenty-two species and varieties in 

 all. Again, at Cheltenham, eleven species were collected, and 

 twelve at Oakleigh. It is noted with great regret, horn a 

 naturalist's standpoint, that the rich locality of Ringwood and 

 its environs is fast becoming settled, the soil and aspect having 

 been found most suitable for apple-growing ; and it is to he 

 feared that, ere long, our orchid paddocks will be no more, 

 having succumbed to the axe and the plough, and so to provide 

 apples for the world's markets. Hence it will not he long 

 before we shall have to go further afield for wild-flowers. 



Thirty years ago .Mr. George Coghill exhibited at the Club 

 in May. 18S4 — five species of orchids which hi' had collected at 

 Hawthorn. These included Pterostylis vittata* P. pracox, P. 

 nutans. P. concinna. One would look there in vain for such 

 orchids now. and. indeed, he would be laughed ou1 of court 

 were he to SUggesI an 01 chid hunt al Hawthorn nowadays. 

 Apparently the same will be said oi Ringwood in a few yen-' 

 tunc 



One ot the nearest spots to Melbourne where orchids ma) 

 \ei be seen is ;it Ashburton. Here is now the terminal limit 

 "l the coastal flora, which once extended Erom Sandringham 

 and Cheltenham through Oakleigh and Ashburton to Canter- 

 bury. Any remnants have long since gone from Canterbury, 

 and probably Ashburton will soon be civilized, foi the paddock 

 in which the orchids were noted has now been fenced, and 



Mi. Coghill informs us tin- is an error, .is lie never > . .! l< t 1 <■■ 1 /' 

 vittata at Hawthorn. The Locality should have been Sandringham. II' 

 it is plentiful .11 Point Lonsdale. I . E. P. and C. F. 



