186 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



tralian wild flowers, I found that the colours were so varied and 

 vivid, the flowers of such strange shapes, and in such abundance, 

 and of such delicate tints, that practically no words can describe 

 their beauty nor the interest they create ; and, as usual, the poorest- 

 looking sandy and ironstone country was the most prolific in 

 flowers. One reason why they are of such a bright colour is, un- 

 doubtedly, the presence of so much decomposed iron in the soil, 

 as you get it almost everywhere, and much of the high land is 

 composed ot ironstone ridges, and on sinking down in these the 

 ironstone ore has a very large percentage of that metal in it ; even 

 the artesian well water at South Perth is strongly impregnated with 

 the same mineral. The so-called everlasting flowers, Helip- 

 terum, are at their best in September, and you can see acres of 

 them, of many different hues, carpeting the ground. Of all the 

 various tints seen yellow predominates, although not among the 

 everlasting flowers, but principally among the small plants. Many 

 of the flowers have two or three colours, according to the soil in 

 which they grow — for instance, the Pattersonia in the sandy soil 

 near Perth is mauve, but in the Darling Ranges, where ironstone 

 abounds, they are all yellow; other flowers, again, are purple, white, 

 or yellow, as the case may be. One very curious plant, named 

 Kangaroo Paw, has a very striking flower, the dark variety, 

 Agonizanthos Juliginosus, particularly being very handsome. 

 The Drosera flourishes here, attaining the height of two feet in 

 moist situations ; another plant that is plentiful is the curious 

 Conospermum, or Smoke Plant, so called from the appearance its 

 flower-stalks have, being covered with greyish-white down, there- 

 fore the top of the bush is always well fringed, generally to the 

 depth of 4 inches, with a colour that has the appearance of 

 light-coloured smoke. Hypocalymma angustifolium, with its pretty 

 white flower, abounds, as well as other varieties of the same plant, 

 with their crimson and pink flowers. The little Stylidiums of several 

 kinds were observed. The beautiful Verticordia chrysantha was 

 seen occasionally, and its brilliant yellow flowers could easily be 

 detected in the scrub, as well as the other beautiful variety with its 

 pink flowers ; these shrubs grew to the height of about 4 feet. 

 The blue Scgevola grew in profusion in certain locaUties, and 

 often close to it flourished the Dampiera, with its brilUant deep- 

 blue flowers ; also a Pultensea, with orange-coloured flowers. 



As we passed along, we noticed Erioste^non spicatus ; an Hib- 

 bertia, with its curious yellow flowers, Stackhousia huegelii, 

 with its delicate white blossoms ; the prickly Eryngium rostraium, 

 varieties of the Goodenia, the prettily marked and delicate flower 

 of Hemigenia pungens, and the long dark-coloured stalk of the 

 StyUdium. The delicate little purple Utricularia; the ground 

 orchid, Caladenia patersoni, or so-called Spider Orchid, and the 

 Diuris, which raised its dark purple-coloured flower among some 



