THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 121 



NOTE ON THE ARAUCARIA OF NEW GUINEA, 

 By Baron von Mueller. 

 Among the plants of striking interest, observed by Messrs. 

 Cuthbertson and Sayer during their ascent of Mount Obree, one 

 •of the foremost is the coniferous tall tree, occupying rocky 

 declivities at elevations from 6000 feet upwards. The careful 

 examination of a fruit-bearing branchlet reveals the identity of 

 this " Pine" with the Araucaria Cunninghami of tropical and 

 sub-tropical eastern Australia, so well known here also as one of 

 the noblest of our park- and garden-trees. Dr. Beccari, when 

 ascending Mount Arfak in Dutch New Guinea, came across the 

 same Araucaria, which he likewise pronounced (already in 1877) 

 as not distinct from A. Cunninghami ; but he noticed it at heights 

 from about 3000 to 4000 feet, though the Italian explorer reached 

 an altitude of fully 6000 feet. The occurrence of this Araucaria, on 

 mountains so very widely apart in the great Papuan Island, seems 

 lo indicate, that much of the highland-country there is likely 

 occupied by this Pine, which fact, — if it could be established, — 

 would be of geologic significance and otherwise also be of 

 physiographic importance. Prof. David Don, so long ago 

 as 1838 (transact. Linn. Soc. of London xviii, 164) considered 

 it not improbable, " that the interior of New Guinea might 

 afford a species of Araucaria," an anticipation now so 

 ■extensively realised. Mr. Sayer found the branchlets less 

 •vaguely spreading and more distichous, than in the ordinary 

 state of this tree in Australia. The Araucaria Balansae from 

 New Caledonia is closely akin to A. Cunninghami, as charac- 

 terised in Australia and New Guinea ; but the seed-bearing 

 rhacheoles are more circular in outline, their terminal portion 

 extending fully across to the lateral membranous expansions, 

 and ending in a less recurved spinular appendage. Here it 

 may aptly further be noted, that Araucaria Rulei became first 

 described in Lindley's Gardeners' Chronicle, for 1861, when 

 also of the typical form a xylographic illustration was furnished 

 .already. The staminate and pistillate rhacheoles of Coniferae 

 are in every respect comparable to those of Cycadeae. Finally 

 it may be mentioned, that the length of the spinular appendage 

 •of the seed-bearing rhacheoles in Araucaria Cunninghami is 

 subject to considerable variation. 



THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 

 By a. Coles. 

 .(Read before the Field Naturalists' Chdj of Victoria, Oct 10, 1887.) 

 Knowing that the Government has recently been requested 

 to place more birds on the Game Act, I think this an oppor- 

 tune time to bring the subject before the Club, hoping that 



