158 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Among the blossoms of the Mallee bushes the Yellow-plumed 

 Honey-eater, Ptilotis ornata, was to be seen feeding, and its 

 lively notes were often heard as the birds chased each other 

 through the scrub. The White-plumed variety, P. penicillata, 

 was not common, but occasionally its whistle would be noticed. 

 Two nests of the Yellow-plumed Honey-eater were found. Both 

 were situated in the tops of small pines, and one contained three 

 beautiful eggs. Of the AVhite-plumed one fresh egg was taken. 

 This latter nest was in a bush growing alongside the track, and 

 was made almost entirely of sheepswool, which the birds had 

 gathered from the bushes where sheep had been passing. There 

 is an abundance of material, for this is the route along which 

 the sheep are taken from Pine Plains to the shearing sheds at 

 Yallum, consequently tufts of wool are torn off by the under- 

 growth through which the animals have passed. 



Nothing more of importance was noted until we reached the 

 second waterhole on our road. This hole is a great deal larger 

 than the " ten-mile tank," and possesses the extraordinary nam.e 

 of " Touchewalop." It is situated in an area of gum and box 

 timber, but birds are not plentiful. Leadbeater's Cockatoo was 

 the most in evidence, and several were around the water when we 

 arrived. Among some bull-oak trees several fully-fledged young 

 of the Crimson-bellied Parrakeet were observed. They were flying 

 about with their parents, but could be , distinguished at once 

 because of their short tails, which were not yet grown to their 

 full length. After shooting a young bird for reference we pushed 

 on, as it was now late in the afternoon. When darkness came on 

 we were again in the Mallee, but our track was well defined, and 

 our horses knew the road. About nine o'clock we reached 

 Yallum, and so ended our trip to Pine Plains. 



The ornithological result of the whole trip was 42 bird skins, 

 besides 75 eggs. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF VICTORIA. 



No. IX. 



By F. M. Reader, F.R.H.S. (Communicated by G. Coghill.) 

 {Read he/ore the Field Naturalists' Cluh of Victoria, loth January, 1900.) 

 Stipa LuEHMANNir, sp. nov., F. M. Reader. 



A rather stout perennial grass, from about i foot to more than 

 2 feet high. Culms somewhat compressed or angular and striate, 

 of a pale or purplish colour, more or less invested with very 

 short hairs, or smooth and shining. Basal leaves rather short 

 or some long, acute or short-pointed, flat or involute when dry ; 

 lower side densely beset with short and soft shining hairs ; upper 

 side scabrous, and invested with short or long hairs ; sheath 



