BOTANICAL INFORMATION. ati 
is familiarly given by us settlers. Two ferns grew with the Villarsia, 
both apparently species of Asplenium. In one I seemed to recognize 
an old acquaintance, cultivated in England: it has beautifully eut 
leaves. The other closely resembles 4. filiforme of Gardner, in your 
Icones Plantarum (Tab. LIII.), and it strikes root in a similar way 
at the point of the fronds. 
I have been again disappointed in the nature of the soil on these 
hills. Though barren as botanists’ hearts could wish, all the way from 
King George's Sound to the foot of them, no sooner had we begun 
the ascent than we found the ironstone formation, which is very rich 
in plants, to disappear; and a variety of granite took its place, accom- 
panied by a perfect change of vegetation. The granite formation is 
covered with immense trees of the Hucalyptus I have previously men- 
tioned, many of them one hundred feet high without a branch; also - 
very large trees of the common red gum. We found plenty of water 
on the Prorongarups, in a beautiful valley: it was a clear running 
stream, its banks adorned with the Boronia Molloyi, which I described 
before, and many other plants, identical with what I had seen 
between the Vasse and Augusta. Indeed, a large proportion of the 
vegetation is the same :—a proof that it is often more dependent on 
soil than climate. The Boronia which I gathered at King George’s 
Sound proves distinct from B. Molloyi. A gentleman named Neil, who 
is stationed in that district, and who is kindly desirous of aiding natu- 
ralists in their researches, pointed out to me a remarkably fine Acacia, 
allied to 4. decurrens, and which, if it proves new, I wish should be 
called 4. Neil. 1 shall send home specimens of it, and plenty of 
seeds : you will observe that it has doubly-pinnate foliage. 
As I have reason to apprehend that some of my plants from the 
the Swan River are the same as Mr. Preiss’s, and therefore not so ac- 
ceptable to my kind purchasers at home, as those from an untravelled 
district would be, I mean to avoid, in future, going over the same 
ground as that naturalist. 
The natives tell me of a Banksia with blood-red flowers, which grows 
in the interior, towards the north-east, and compared with which the 
B. grandis is but a pigmy ! T shall do my best to discover it, and to 
ascertain the truth of this report. 
i JAMES DRUMMOND. 
VOL. I. 3c 
