BY F. MANSON BAILEY, F.L.S. 17 



faint gi-eeii li^ht aijjain as soon as night set in, and was a source 

 of wonder and delight to those who had not previously seen it. 

 The species is not of fre<juent occurrence. The Papuans are 

 evidently Aery fond of bright showy colours, and we always 

 found plants of this character planted near their houses. Some 

 of these may be indigenous, but I have grave doubts as to others, 

 although they may be recorded as such by botanists who have 

 written upon the New Guinea flora. The mistakes have likely 

 occurred owing to the missionaries who have sent specimens to 

 the botanists not seeing the necessity of mentioning whether the 

 particular specimens were taken from indigenous or naturalised 

 plants. I saw many of these plants in the villages, but never 

 met with thein even at a short distance from habitations. 

 Among the species so recorded will be found Bryophyllum caly- 

 cinum, Suli:;.; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Lain., the connuon red 

 hibiscus of our gardens; Flacourtia cataphracta, llo.rh., the 

 puneala plum ; Clitoria ternatea, Li)in.; Ccesalpinia pulcher- 

 rima. Sir., the flower fence; Nicotiana tabacuni, Luni., the 

 cultivated tobacco; Gomphrena globosa, Linn., the globe 

 amarantli ; I)atura fastuosa, Li nit., the Proud Datura; Vinca 

 rosea, Linn., old maid ; and many bright-coloured varieties of 

 Amarantus. So far as I could see the natives pay but little 

 attention to the cultivation of vegetables. The samples brought 

 out in their canoes were poor and consisted of : Sweet j^otato, a 

 variety of Ipomoea batatas, Voir ; taro, Colocasia antiquorum, 

 Srlidtt ; a yam, probably a form of Dioscorea sativa, Linn.; a 

 very poor kind of pumpkin or vegetable marrow, Cucurbita var.; 

 papaw, green and ripe, Carica Papayn, Linn.; bananas, Musasp., 

 which Avere the most insipid I had ever tasted ; and at one place 

 (Mugula) the natives brought on board a fruit evidently allied to 

 the date plum, Diospyros Kaki, which possessed an agreeable 

 flavour; they called it '-Dedecal"; also a ginger, Zingiber 

 officinalis, rar., rhizomes, of which I brought to Brisbane 

 and handed to Mr. MacMahon, of the Botanic Gardens, 

 as I consider it a variety which may prove worth 

 cultivating. The following is my note on this ginger, made 

 upon receiving it from the natives, who call it " Tarboia " : — 

 Leaves narrow, grass-like, G or more inches long, on rather 



