210 NOTES, 
IIl.—“ Tue Patm Rapuia (Sacus) rurria,” By L. A. Bernays 
F.L.S., etc. 
Tue marked success which has attended the efforts of past years 
to introduce and establish many species of that noble order 
of plants, the Palms, gives peculiar interest to any new evidence 
of their adaptability to our climate; and, having myself taken 
a considerable share in the work of their introduction, I am 
always glad of an opportunity of pointing to successful 
results, with a view to encourage the cultivation of these beauti- 
ful and useful) plants. Such an opportunity presents itself now, 
in the fruiting, for the first time, in Queensland, of a specimen 
of the small genus Raphia, viz., R. rufia. The specimen in 
question was planted some twelve years ago, in the Acclimatisa- 
tion Society’s gardens, of which the tree has been one of the 
most admired objects. Unfortunately, this genus is one which, 
like the banana, dies after fruiting, but which, unlike that fruit, 
fails to leave behind it young and vigorous successors. If, and 
there is no reason to doubt from the size which it has already 
attained, the fruit which I am submitting to you, comes to 
perfect maturity, the parent plant can be replaced by a numerous 
progeny, indeed. 
I submit examples of the fruit and fibre. 
The “hands,” as I may term them, now shewn, were taken 
from a fruit-spike, about five feet long, and are two, of one hun- 
dred and eighteen, which were arranged spirally on the spike. 
Of these hands 47 were fruitful, and 71 sterile. There were 16 
fruit-spikes, and allowing an average of 20 seeds to’each fertile 
hand, gives a result of about 15,000 of the beautifully imbricated 
particular districts are concerned, for the continuity of the Mitchell 
Shale would be thereby disturbed. A remark which has been suggested 
by the fact that a dyke is to be met with on the Warrego River below 
Wallall. This dyke, which was brought to my notice by Mr. R. Austin, 
railway surveyor, is supposed to extend between Mitchell and Mangalore, 
and to have a direction of 13 deg. south of west. Its influence may be 
traced on the course of the rivers of the district. 
