xl 



The Hon. A. Norton lias done good work in collecting plant 

 specimens in various parts of Queensland, making observations 

 upon peculiarities of growth and uses to which they may have 

 been put by the natives. Cyanoatrpm Xortonicoia , Bail., is 

 named in his honor. 



Quite recently also we find that Baron von Mueller hag 

 received specimens of plants collected by Mrs. H. Biddulph near 

 Mount Playfair. One of these, Astrotricha BiddnJphiann, he 

 has named after this lady collector. 



The Rev. F. R. M. Wilson, a Victorian lichenologist, paid 

 a visit to Queensland in quest of these plants during 1890, and 

 was most successful in obtaining new species. The descriptions 

 of many of these will be found in my second bulletin. 



In showing how the plants of Queensland are being collected 

 and a love of the science of botany cultivated amongst us, 

 reference must be made to the Field Naturalists' branch of your 

 Society. The first idea of the promotors of this section was 

 that all the various branches of natural history should be repre- 

 sented. This unfortunately was soon found to be unachievable, 

 as suitable leaders could not be found who were willing to give 

 their attendance at the fortnightly excursions. Thus it has 

 drifted mto a botanic section, under my leadership and, as such, 

 has done much towards developing a taste for botany, and at the 

 same time materially assisting the work of collecting and making 

 known the Queensland flora. These excursions have also been 

 the means of discovering many new species. The members 

 having become more or less proficient in the science, have formed 

 private herbaria, and by gratuitous or exchange distribution of 

 their duplicate specimens, largely assisted to spread abroad a Itnow- 

 ledge of our great botanic wealth. Some who attended this 

 section's early excursions, but removed to distant parts of the 

 colony, have continued their studies, and a few have supplied 

 most interesting accounts in the local papers of the plants of 

 the district in which they are located. It was my hope that 

 some of the members who had the leisure and the requisite 

 abilities would take up certain Orders or genera as specialities, 

 which in our present state of botanic knowledge has become a- 



