56 



quite distinct from anything in ferns so far familiar. *Angiopteris evecta was 

 abundant, and Alsophila straminea well represented. Begonia humboldtiana 

 with mottled leaves and pink flowers grew all along the banks in large 

 clumps, but it was impossible to find any normal fruit, the capsules being 

 all swollen through the action of some insect. Ficus conocephalifolia, most 

 aptly named, with enormous leaves and bearing red receptacles, was a 

 common tree. 



Bosnik, on the Island of Wiak. 



On the return to Manokoeari, half a day spent on Bosnik, on ne of the 

 Schouten Islands, was interesting, it being the first time the steamer had 

 called there, this new Government station having been built as an alternative 

 to Mosmer as a point of call. The island is coral-limestone, a high ridge 

 rising behind Bosnik, and low-lying flats in front of the latter are rapidly 

 being cleared for the " campong " plantations. 



Under the strand trees bordering this area * Cycas ctrcinalit, the ferns 

 * Dryopteris stenobasis, *Diplazium polypodioides, with *Fleuria ruderalis, 

 Ophiorrhiza insularis, Piper bipunctatum, and P. bosnicanum, the latter 

 epiphytic on a tree, were found. 



As this was quite a new station, the strand trees were not yet stripped 

 of their epiphytic treasures, and one splendid example, a veritable garden of 

 various plants, yielded *Lycopodium phlegmaroides, *Psilotum flaccidum, the 

 orchids Hippeopliyllum alboviride, Dendrobium inconspicuum and D. potomo- 

 philum, Eria rigida var. papuana, and Sarcanthns bicornis, all with incon- 

 spicuous flowers, with the handsome Medinilla rhodorhachis with pink 

 flowers. 



All the streams drain through the " korang " into the sea at the beach 

 level, so that it is possible to drink fresh water from the salt. 



At all the other stopping-places the time was too short to do more than 

 collect a few plants, or, the islands being entirely under cultivation, possibilities 

 in collection were limited to the beach. 



SYSTEMATIC RESULTS. 



Over 330 plants were collected in the Arfak, of which 100 have proved 

 new to science, with one new natural order and five very distinct new genera. 

 Of. the new species perhaps the most interesting are a Dacrydium, the first 

 species in fruit to be described from New Guinea, a Libocedrus, a genus new 

 for Dutch N.W. New Guinea, and a Kentia. A new species each in Trimenia, 

 Telminthodia, and Backhousia, establish Papuan preponderance in those 

 genera, while a new species in Patersonia, Centrolepis, and Hibbertia represent 

 new generic records for New Guinea. 



I/- ,-2/A 



^e'*<.* . He. Y* V - 



