j6 Pescott and French, A Yen Among the Orchids, [volxxxh. 



the fence is always the precursor oi the flora] loss. Here were 

 noted Pterostylis nutans, P. concinna, Acianthus exsertus, and 

 Corysanthes pruinosa. 



To collect Pterostylis vittata .\ visil would need to Ik- made 

 to Sandringham ; and even here this orchid is fast becoming 

 rare This year, among the coastal tea-tree, where we 

 previously collected dozens oi plains, only a fair number were 

 found, and these aftei a close hunt among the hushes. Also. 

 at Ebden Park, where this orchid and others were formerly 

 abundant, the advance and increase oi seaside residences are 

 fast destroying this erstwhile famous collecting ground. 



Pterostylis concinna is still exceedingly plentiful under the 

 tea-tree at Sandringham and Beaumaris, and. both last season 

 and this, it has been a charming early winter visitant. Cyr- 

 tostylis reniformis and Caladenia Patersoni are also in evidence 

 along the coast. Here. also, a lew plants of Corysanthes 

 pruinosa were found; previously, too, these were plentiful 

 along the beach hills. Bui on the sandy hills near Cheltenham, 

 and in the open scrub beyond Oakleigh, this species is still to 

 be found in abundance. This season one colony was found 

 which must have contained many thousands oi individual 

 plants so closely set in an irregular area of about eight yards 

 .11 ross as to almosl overlap each other, and exclude every othei 

 plant. The mate to this species, Corysanthes unguiculata, which 

 was tn -i found at Oakleigh by Mr. C. French, jun., in June. 

 [890, will soon be extincl in its original locality. The paddock 



where it grows is now used as a pasture ft ws, which are 



1 ating up and tramping down the clumps oi Melaleuca squarrosa, 

 which is the natural covet foi the orchids. Rabbits, too, have 

 discovered thai orchid tubers are edible, and this war it was 

 noted thai these rodents were scratching up the young plants 

 oi Pterostylis pedaloglossa, and eating both plants and tubers. 

 In anothei instant e, a < olony oi ants had excavated undei and 

 complete^ covered up a growing patch oi this orchid. Last 

 year only hall .1 dozen plant- oi Corysanthes unguiculata were 

 found ; bu1 this season several dozen were observed. Surely 

 this would lead one to considei thai in an unfavourable season 

 tin tubers remain dormanl in the soil. 



Pterostylis pedaloglossa, too, presented an unusual problem. 

 Foi the last two seasons, although hundreds oi plants were 

 noted, only one flowei was seen, and thai was in ioip In 

 the same paddock it was previously possible to colled flowers 

 oi Pterostylis nutans by the thousand ; but, now thai cows and 

 rabbits have found these plants palatable, this species, while 

 common and yel interesting, 1- here fasl disappearing. Auothei 

 toi connected with the disappearance oi this orchid is thi 

 increase in the spread oi ''Main weeds In one cornet oi thi 



