132 
Cunningham and Eraser were, of course, much on the Blue Mountains, and 
it would he desirable to examine minutely any Acacia attributed to A. obtusata, and 
collected by them in this locality. In this connection it should be ascertained if 
their plant is my var. Hamiltoni (erroneously referred to A. crassiuscula , Wendl.), 
see p. 114, Part XLVI. It may be mentioned that Sieber’s No. 464 was collected 
both by Cunningham and Eraser. Mueller (Second Census, 1889) records the species 
from Victoria. We have no evidence that Mueller saw the species from that State, 
as specimens so labelled by him (kindly lent to me by Prof. Ewart) do not belong to 
that species. At the same time, it does extend to Victoria. I quote a specimen 
collected by C. Walter from “East Gippsland ” in August, 1904 (given to me by 
Prof. Ewart), which was collected eight years after Mueller’s death, and which 
constitutes the only proof of its occurrence in Victoria knoAvn to me. 
In addition to a type specimen, I have it from New South Wales : Hilltop 
(E. Ciieel) ; Wingello (J. L. Boorman) ; Barber’s Creek, now Tallong (II. Hammond 
Maiden; H. J. Rumsey; R. H. Camhage, No. 2,714; J.H.M.); Marulan (J.H.M.); 
Monga, near Braidwood, the very image of the type (W. Baeuerlen) ; Taralga (Miss 
Georgina King) ; Tarago (W. IV. Eroggatt). 
The Braidwood district is the most southern New South Wales locality for 
this species known to me. 
Sieber’s Botanical Travels .—Eranz Wilhelm Sieher’s name is the best known 
of the early German botanists who visited New South Wales. He took considerable 
and excellent collections to Europe, which he sold in numbered sets bearing the 
labels, “ Elora Nov. Holi.” and “Pis. Exot.” Descrqffions of many plants bearing 
his name as author are published in De Candolle’s Prodromus, and other works, hut 
whether the descriptions were actually the work of Sieber does not transpire. 
We know next to nothing about his travels in New South Wales, almost all 
particulars being ascertained from the evidence produced by the plants themselves ; 
and even some of these may have been given him by Cunningham and Eraser. The 
following information, mainly extracted from a paper by F. C. Dietrich in a Report 
of the Botanical Museum (? Berlin) for 1881, p. 278, by Mr. Ernst Betclie, is 
practically all we knoAv about this elusive Australian botanist and collector. 
Sieber Avas horn in Prague, Bohemia, in March, 1789. His father was a rich 
master-carrier. Eranz Avas an only son, and inherited ample means. At first he 
commenced the study of architecture, hut gaA r e it up and became an engineer; he also 
gave that up in 1810, and devoted his time entirely to collecting Natural History 
specimens, chiefly botanical, hut he dabbled also in zoology, ethnology, and 
antiquities. He put up his collections into centuries and sold them, and not only 
collected himself, hut employed a number of collectors travelling for him in 
different parts of the world. His ambition Avas to keep a central depdt for 
distribution of herbaria from all parts of the world, hut he soon got into money 
difficulties, and then constantly applied to the Governments of different countries 
for monetary assistance. 
