16 . 
The South AustTalian Naturalist. 
t 
definite and mostly widespread areas. Other species such as Pul- 
tenaea involucrata, P. graveolens and Acrotnche fasciculiflora 
grow in some quantity in restricted areas. Only a few grass 
species occur in the stringybark forest and nowhere abundant. 
A grass-like Lepidosper^na {L, semiteres) grows in close for- 
mation in places and seems to take the place of grass and 14 other 
species of this family occur here. The family Orchidaceae is 
represented by about 18 species while Liliaceae has 17 species. 
Four parasites occur in Loranthus, viz., L. Miquelii, L. Exo- 
carpi, L. pendtdus and L. Preisii, the former being the more abun- 
dant chiefly on the yellow gum while the two latter parasitise the 
blackwood. Composites are represented by 23 species and one 
of them Helichrysum Baxteri makes large white patches where it 
grows in the ironstone soils on the tops of the ridges. 
There is much to be done, and, so far, very little has been 
accomplished in the ecology of the Mount Lofty Ranges which 
would well repay close study. 
A GREAT AUSTRALIAN BOTANIST. 
The death of Mr. J. FI. Maiden, F.R.S., I.S.O., formerly 
Government Botanist of New South Wales and Director of the 
Sydney Botanic Gardens, removes one of the greatest of Aus- 
ralia’s scientific workers. Flis name stands beside that of Baron von 
Mueller on the roil of those who have done so much for Austra- 
lia. His life was spent in the study of the plant life of the con- 
tinent with particular study of its relation to man’s life and wel- 
fare. 
His greatest work was the massive “Critical Review of the 
Genus Eucalyptus” in seven weighty volumes, still unfortunately 
incomplete. Other works from his prolific pen include “The 
Forest Flora of New South Wales,” “Sir Joseph Banks” and 
“Flowering Plants and Ferns.” 
During a period of 20 years he wrote voluminously on many 
scientific subjects. As far back as 1907 at the Science Congress 
in Adelaide he contributed a paper on “The effects of the des- 
truction of the forest flora on the flow of the streams of Aus- 
tralia.” 
The value of Mr. Maiden’s work was recognised by the 
award of the Linnean medal, 1915, and his election as a Fellow 
of the Royal Society, He was also the recipient of the Imperial 
Service Order. Australia loses a keen scientist and a most use- 
ful citizen. 
