42 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



but the single black feather on the mantle, and those on the 

 lores, as well as the blues, indicate at once that it is a precocious 

 bird. I had always understood that the bill needed to be blacker 

 and the tail faint blue, which would require a few more months 

 of modest garb before any " finery " became the prevailing 

 element. Would this bird rear a family this spring ? I think 

 not, because it is the opinion of my friend Mr. Graham, who 

 has given the question considerable attention (Vict. Nat. xvi , 

 p. 135) that the young female of the first year does not. Mr. 

 Graham has had under strict observation a mother and a daughter 

 wren of Malurus gouldi for fourteen months, and they have 

 both been feeding during the last two weeks (December, 1899) 

 a new brood of the mother's. Next spring, doubtless, the 

 daughter will mate, but whether this observation is the rule or 

 the exception is not quite certain. 



In the article in the " Proceedings of the Royal Society of 

 Victoria," previously referred to, a slight error occurs. In the 

 thirteenth line from the bottom of page 89 the word " females " 

 should read " males." 



AN UNRECORDED SPECIES OF BURSARIA. 



By W. R. Guilfoyle, F.L.S., Director Melbourne Botanic 



Gardens. 



(Communicated by H. T. Tisdall.) 



(Read be/ore the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 10th April, 1900.) 



The genus Bursaria — order Pittosporeas — was founded by 

 Cavanilles in 1797 on a single species, B. spinosa. Two other 

 species have since been described, namely, B. incana, Lindley, 

 and B. tenuifolia, Bailey. In Mueller's "Census of Australian 

 Plants " the first named only is mentioned, and is recorded as 

 indigenous to North, South, and West Australia, Queensland, 

 New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. 



That an error has long existed in regarding the Victorian tree 

 Bursaria and the very spiny, loosely-branched shrub so common 

 in the hilly and mountainous districts of the colony as the same 

 species, or that one is but a mere variety of the other, will be 

 freely admitted by all field naturalists who may choose to examine 

 the plants carefully. At least it must be conceded that there are 

 as sound reasons for giving specific rank to the plant in question 

 as to any of the other three. 



Bursaria pantoni (after J. A. Panton, C.M.G., P.M.), Guilfoyle, 

 Native Box-olive Wood. 



A tree averaging from 37 to 45 feet in height, with a very dense 

 head of dark olive-green foliage ; circumference of stem often 50 

 inches. Bark very rough and dark. Branchlets corrugated, lenticels 



