58 
gonum parviflorum (or Supple-Jack), climbing species of Metroside- 
ros, and Dicksonia squarrosa and Cyathea dealbata, which are the 
commonest species of tree-ferns. Cyathea medullaris, Mr. Ralph 
found but once in this locality ; and of C. dealbata he mentions hav- 
ing founda single specimen with a trifurcate stem, about 12 or 14 feet 
in height, and each of its divisions rising close to each other to a 
height of 4 feet. Smaller ferns, such as Hymenophyllum demissum 
and H. dilatatum, accompany these ; Trichomanes reniforme is occa- 
sionally met with in extensive patches; and Polypodium Billardieri 
is by far the commonest of climbing ferns. During the winter season 
(generally from May to September) the gullies, being furnished with 
a steady supply of water, produce numerous Cryptogamic plants, 
which Mr. Ralph states that he has closely observed, but of which he 
can at present give only a brief notice. Of most of these he expects 
to be able to obtain the fructification, by subjecting them to a period 
of confinement in Ward’s cases, in which with a less moist, but more 
regularly charged atmosphere, they seem well disposed to fruit. He 
has thus succeeded in fruiting Jungermannia hymenophylioides ; and 
suggests this mode of cultivation to those who are desirous of obtain- 
ing fruiting specimens of mosses, Jungermannie, &c. Of Fungi, Mr. 
Ralph has collected about thirty species, while the list given in M. 
Raoul’s work includes only eleven or twelve. He particularly notices 
Neodictyon cibarium, which makes its appearance in June and July 
soon after heavy falls of rain, and a brick-red Polyporus (P. sanguineus 
of the ‘ Voyage au Pole Sud’?) as abundant in some places. He is 
inclined to think that in many instances mere varieties have been 
described as species. Thus he thinks that the two so-called new spe- 
cies of Parsonsia described in M. Raoul’s ‘ Choix des Plantes’ are 
only varieties of P. heterophylla; he has been unable to distinguish 
the two supposed species of Drimys; and in other instances he 
believes the differences to depend mainly upon the climate, temperate 
enough in sheltered situations, but severe in places exposed to the 
cold south-easterly gales either of winter or summer. Among the 
microscopic Fungi, Mr. Ralph particularly mentions a species of 
Trichia ; the common Aicidium Senecionis which accompanies ‘the 
Senecio vulgaris, and appears to him to extend to a species of Epi- 
lobium ; and Perisporium vulgare? attacking Aristotelia im winter. 
Of Aristotelia he observes that although it is said to be exstipulate, he 
has met with several specimens in which the stipule were largely 
developed. Of introduced plants, the common water-cress grows by 
cart-loads in and about the streams for several miles about Welling- 
