594 ME. weir's journal. 



plauted with coffee ; but perhaps the largest part of all has been 

 at one time cleared, and again abandoned to nature. In the 

 virgin forest I collected about three dozen plants of the common 

 Physurus, Mr. Eyles having written me to send him home a lot 

 if I could. 1 also collected a few plants of another terrestrial 

 Orchid, having a silvery blotch up the centre of the leaf. This 

 grows in much the same situations as the Phymrus, No. 225 

 {ChamcErantheimtrtl sp.), a very small plant, grows in the 

 thickest parts of the forest. It never grows above half a foot 

 high, and the slender woody stem bears a few leaves and the 

 white flowers on its summit. No. 326 (Manettia sp.) is a 

 twining plant, with scarlet flowers ; it grows among the bushes 

 on the roadside ; and No. 927 is a tree of small size, growing 

 in the more open parts of the forest* 



March 23nZ. — Had another day in the forests on the Jundiahy 

 hill range. Collected a few more plants of Physnriis, and speci- 

 mens of No. 228 {Eriosema sp.), a shrub with a loose habit, 

 growing 6 or 7 feet high. Its flowers are scarlet. No. 229 

 appears to be a species of Gnaphalium, and grows plentifully on 

 a small piece of perfectly flat grass land on the top of the range 

 of hills. 



March 24i7t. — Eeturned to Itiu In the afternoon employed 

 ■within doors. 



March 25iA. — Engaged "within doors. 



March ^Gth. — ^Went to-day to the hills to the southward of 

 the village, to look for the terrestrial Orchid with silver grey 

 leaves which I met with when at Itu before {Platanthera sp.). 

 On going to the wood where it grows, I found several plants of 

 it in flower, which I collected for specimens. It is No. 231. 

 The flowers are green. No. 230, a very pretty little species of 

 Gentiana, with rose-coloured flowers, I found on the campo 

 between the hills and village. On the edges of the woods I 

 found No. 232 {Cestncm sp.), a shrub 7 to 8 feet high, with 

 green flowers. 



March %lth. — Took a walk over part of the campo this fore- 

 noon, looking for plants of No. 118, but they are by no means so 

 easily found, now that they are out of flower. I dug up about 

 half a-dozen of the large fleshy roots to send home. Collected 

 specimens of No. 233, a yellow-flowered shrubby Cassia, scattered 

 over the campo ; and of No. 234, a tall composite weed. 



March 28r/i.— Engaged within doors. Must go to St, Paul's, 

 to try and get the 400 dollars remainhig with my agents there, 



