155 



as Avas the interior of New South Wales, with its more arid 

 dimate and t\pically' "Aiistrahan" vegetation, the Proteaceae, 

 Myrtaceae and Leguminoseae being predominant. In Victoria, 

 especial attention was paid to the forests of very tall eucalyptus 

 trees. A short stay was made in West Australia. 



New Zealand was covered rather thoroughly and extensive 

 collections made of the flowers of the Podocarpineae and of 

 Agathis aiistraJis, the Kauri pine. The Southern Alps, with their 

 wonderful alpine flora, were visited, as was the "Fossil Forest" 

 at the southern tip of the Dominion. 



The floras of Australia and New Zealand present many inter- 

 esting phytogeographical problems, possessing four distinct ele- 

 ments, the Australian, Himalayan, Malayan and Antarctic. 

 Several hypotheses, involving previous land connections and 

 climatic changes, have been put forward to explain the facts. 



Meeting adjourned. 



B. O. Dodge, 



Secretary 



NEWS ITEMS 



We learn with regret of the death, early in June, of Frank N. 

 Meyer, one of the most successful agricultural explorers ever 

 sent out by the Government. Thousands of valuable plants 

 from China and Japan have been sent by him to the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry and from there distributed as "Plant Immi- 

 grants." Excepting only E. H. Wilson probably no recent 

 explorer has sent such rich collections from the East. Mr. 

 Meyer was missed from a steamer on the Yangste, from which 

 river his body was afterwards taken. There were no indications 

 as to the cause of death. 



