BEEKIHA AND MITTAGOtfG. 113 



need but little commendation from me ; but I feel great pleasure 

 in associating the name of that much esteemed and indefatigable 

 colonist with a subject in which he has manifested so much inte- 

 rest, inasmuch as he, in company with the Rev. J. Hassall, passed 

 over the same ground that I have been considering, and collected 

 many beautiful specimens of wood in the very spots which I have 

 lately had the gratification to visit. Most of the climbers which 

 I noticed were similar to those of Toraah, belonging principally to 

 the genera of Aplianopetalum, Tecoma, Marsdenia, Smilax, Cissus, 

 Tt/lophora, Sarcopetalum, and StepJiania. The orchids, especially 

 the parasitical ones, were also identical, as well as the strong 

 scented shrub Prostantlicra, the pretty little Citriobatus or "orange 

 thorn," and a diminutive thorny species of CantJiium, resembling 

 the JBursaria or thorn of the low country. Two of the most re- 

 markable plants of the range are Fieldia austmlis, a climbing 

 rooting-stemuied plant adhering to the trunks of the Tree Fern, 

 and belonging to the Bignonia family, but having baccate fruit ; 

 and Quintinia Sieleri, a curious tree, which, although sometimes 

 standing alone in the forest, and attaining a height of forty or fifty 

 feet, is frequently to be seen growing from the Tree Fern (Dick- 

 soma antarcticd), each having its separate stein in the ground, 

 but so blended together as at first sight to appear one and the 

 same tree. Allan Cunningham was the first who noticed this 

 botanical curiosity, on Mount Tomali, but subsequent observers 

 are of opinion, that this extraordinary tree, although sometimes 

 apparently growing by itself, is nevertheless always propagated 

 in the first instance from the stem of the tree fern. The same 

 opinion is also expressed respecting Eucrijplwi DIoorei, of which I 

 have already spoken. The cryptogamous botany of the range 

 seems identical with that of Tomah, the ferns, mosses, and lichens, 

 as far as I was able to observe, being alike in both places. The 

 most striking fern is Dicksonia antarctica, or a tree fern, remark- 

 able for its graceful palm-like appearance, and attaining in favour- 

 able localities a height of thirty feet, and upwards. There were 

 also two other species of tree fern belonging to the genus Aho- 

 phila (A. Australia and A. Leichhardtiana), and similar to those 

 occurring within a few miles of Parramatta. The climbing species 

 of Poltfpodiuni (P. tsnellam, P. B 'Hardier i and P. rupestre), very 

 frequently meet the eye of the observer, the most elegant of which 



