AUSTRALIA. 281 



middle of the week I found such as I did not choose to lie in, 

 and so, not to give offence, I slipped between the blankets ; 

 and this I practised till I observed that a change of linen had 

 supervened. So much for personal accommodation. I am 

 much better off touching my collections, as the landlord (a 

 Limerick man) gives me the use of a sitting-room, in which I 

 can make a mess to my heart's content. Hitherto I have had 

 it undisturbed, but to-day a boat from Geelong, with a picnic 

 party of excursionists, has filled the house with drinkers and 

 revellers, who of course have preference over a water-drinking 

 algologist ; so I had to put away my affairs and turn out at a 

 moment's notice. I am therefore writing in my quarter-bed- 

 room (or more literally my quarters). 



I have of course been much occupied with Algse, and have a 

 fair collection, though mostly of known species. I got one 

 rather interesting novelty, a new species of Sarcomenia, almost 

 completely uniting that genus with Dasya, and yet " with a 

 difference." This is the second species I have added to this 

 genus, which is closely analogous to Desmarestia in habit and 

 in its peculiarity of rapidly changing colour in the air. All 

 the species when growing are a pale fawn grey with iridescent 

 tints, but a few minutes after they are brought into the air they 

 become a beautifully clear rose red, and they preserve this 

 colour in drying. 



The trees in this neighbourhood are principally she-oaks 

 (Casuarinse), which have rather a sombre look, being more like 

 arborescent horsetails than anything else. (Specimens may be 

 seen at Glasnevin.) All the twigs are jointed, and have little 

 teeth at the joints, where they easily separate. I have found 

 but few additional land plants here. The only fern is the 

 common brake (Pteris aquilina) , exactly similar to ours at home. 



Melbourne, December 29th. 

 I sailed in the Wyvern on the 8th, for Phillip Island, and 

 we entered the harbour at eleven o'clock next day. I found 

 Mrs. Mac H. at home, who assured me her husband would 

 take me in, and that I could have every facility for my plants, 

 &c, so I returned to the vessel and landed after dinner, with 

 bag and baggage, weighing nearly five cwt., which the sailors 

 had to 'airy on their backs over the sandhills for a quarter 



