737 



Blilum, Cladium Mariscus, Calamagrostis Epigejos and lanceolala, 

 and Agrostis setacea ; and am ready to fear that most of them have 

 become extinct. Salicornia radicans, too, does not appear to grow at 

 Weymouth, and probably S. herbacea, which is very fine and abun- 

 dant, has been mistaken for it. 



I explored all the localities given for Vicia la3vigata, without suc- 

 cess: these localities are, in the * Botanist's Guide,' Portland Island, 

 Chesil bank, and Lodmoor near Weymouth ; in the ' English Flora,' 

 a field half way between Weymouth and Portland ferry, near the sea. 

 At Portland island and the Chesil bank I could discover nothing at 

 all similar to it, though the latter was examined for several miles ; at 

 Lodmoor the stony beach produces Vicia lutea abundantly, as also 

 does a green declivity of the cliff, about half way between Weymouth 

 and the ferry, probably the field referred to in the ' English Flora; ' 

 but in neither place could I see any trace of V. laevigata. Perhaps 

 some of your correspondents may be able to state whether it has re- 

 cently been found near Weymouth, or whether there is now any au- 

 thentic locality for this very rare plant. G. S. Gibson. 



Saffron Walden, August, 1 843. 



Art. CLXX. — Notice of ' A Visit to the Australian Colonies. By 

 James Backhouse.' London : l^amilton, Adams & Co. 1843. 



(Concluded from p. 60S). 



On the route from Appin to lUawarra, over a sandstone country, 

 elevated about 2000 feet above the level of the sea, four species of 

 Grevillea were observed, one of them having brilliant scarlet blossoms, 

 and a gay Mirbellia, with bluish purple flowers, besides several spe- 

 cies of Dillwynia, Pultenaea and Boronia, and the gigantic lily, Do- 

 ryanthes excelsa. In descending, the sides of a rough track, called 

 the Bulli Road, were ornamented with a gay Prostanthera, Pimelia 

 hypericifolia, Pittospermum undulatum and another fragrant species 

 of this genus, and a handsome white Clematis. 



In a forest in the vicinity of Wollongong — 



" Some large species of fig are met with, as well as large gum-trees, and species of 

 Tristania ; also Metrosideros capitata, called here turpentine-tree, which attains a 

 large stature, and Sterculia acerifolia, which has large clusters of small flame-colour- 

 ed flowers, that produce a striking appearance in spring. The cabbage palm, Cory- 

 pha australis, abounds by the sides of water-courses. Great numbers of this palm, 

 which has elegant, fan- like foliage, and hard, purple seeds, the size of a marble, arc 



3 R 



