56 TAE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



I regret to say, becoming exceedingly rare in the vicinity of 

 Melbourne, and even at Berwick, where I thought I knew where to 

 lay my hand on it as in former years, I did not succeed in finding 

 a single specimen. To those who are interested in Orchid collect- 

 ing, there will be little difficulty in distinguishing this species, 

 because of its beautiful and singular purple fringed labellum, which 

 is totally different to any other Orchid, excepting perhaps, G. 

 Soherfsonii, which it much resemMes, although it is not so rare as 

 the latter species. In the good old days of Orchid collecting, 

 twenty years ago, Mr. Schlipaulis and myself found the plant growing 

 rather plentifully in the scrub lining the swamp, near which the 

 Caulfield race-course grand stand now rears its pretentious head, the 

 former grand stand i^ which many of you may remember,) being 

 composed of four pieces of hard-wood quartering, and a paling roof. 

 This inelegant edifice suddenly disappeared!, and with it, evidently 

 the Calochilus, for neither he or I could ever find it there afterwards. 

 So much for civilization. This plant seems to accommodate itself 

 to many soils, as I have found it in bogoy heath land, at Caulfield, 

 Berwick, and Cheltenham, on stony rises at foot of Mount William, 

 and on ground in the Whipstick scrub, near Sandhurst, where the 

 soil was as bare, and the neighbourhood as rugged and uneven as 

 the St. Kilda road, since the removal of the Toll-gate. In the 

 cultivation of this plant, I should advise to grow it in black, sandy 

 soil, with plenty of drainage and abundance of clean water. This 

 pretty species should be in every collection. Height about one 

 loot, flowers in October and JSTovember, and in the higher districts, 

 possibly later. Found also in Queensland, ISTew tjouth Wales, and 

 Tasmania. 



P.S. — Since writing the above, I have found it rather plentiful ner.r 

 Mount Eliza. 



2. Calochilus Eoierfsonn (Bentham.) Described in the " Flora" 

 as a stouter growing species than the former one, but with the leaf 

 usually broader. The descriptions seem to be much alike, excepting 

 that in this plant the labellum is fringed all over, and the two wings 

 being connected at the base by a transverse raised plate across the 

 base of the labellum, and of which, Mr. Bentham says, he sees no 

 trace in the two other species, alluding to C. campestris, and C. 

 paludosus. I have not found this species myself, but the very 

 excellent drawings, kindly sent by my friend, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, of 

 Walhalla, will enable you to form an idea by which you could 

 identify it, should you be fortunate enough to meet with it on any of 

 your excursions. Cultivation, time of flowering, probably same as 

 that of C. campestris. According to the " Flora," this species is 

 restricted to Victoria, but I see by the " Census," just published by 

 Baron von Mueller, that it has also been found in South Austraiia. 

 It might assist our members, to know, that before flowering, this 

 genus may be easily mistaken for some of the larger growing species 

 of Thelymitra. Flowers in November. Has been found many 

 years ago by Mr. Schlipaulis at Caulfield. 



