Australian Meeting of the British Association. 53 
Preissii the single inflorescence spike arising from the top of the 
trunk-branches may measure 6 feet. In the monotypic Kingia (K. 
australis) several inflorescences of drum-stick form arise from the 
leaf-crown. When the old leaves are shed the bases are left 
surrounding the trunk as a complete sheath, giving it somewhat 
the appearance of a Cycad stem. This sheath in course of time 
becomes detached and breaks away piece-meal, so that fragments 
of broken rings which are rich in resin litter the ground. (2) The 
Cycad Macrozamia Fraseri, many plants of which were bearing cones, 
as many as 3 or even 4 being sometimes found on one individual. 
The cones of the present season were not yet mature; those of the 
previous year were lying on the ground gradually rotting and shedding 
the scales. The seeds lying thickly around were germinating freely. 
The fresh seeds are held to be poisonous to both men and cattle, 
but are said to be eaten by the aboriginals after they have been 
kept or buried for one or two seasons. The soft easily detachable 
woolly felt covering the crown furnished the early settlers with an 
economical bed-stuffing. Ferns were noticeably absent, but Chei- 
lanthes tenuifolia was found in some quantity. 
I cannot conclude this brief sketch of our botanical excursions 
from Perth without reference to the kind help of Mr. W. B. 
Alexander who accompanied the party on more than one occasion, 
and who gave us the greatest assistance all through in planning the 
trips and in naming specimens. 
Albany proved another botanist’s paradise. The ramble over 
Mount Clarence conducted by Mr. E. C. Andrews, who had organised 
the expedition and who most kindly travelled with the party from 
Perth in order to act as guide, yielded a large number of interesting 
specimens. Other expeditions were made in order to enable the 
party to see growing in abundance three plants of special interest, 
viz., the fragrant brown-flowered Boronia megastigma (Rutacese) 
which is sold in the streets of Melbourne as lavender in London ; 
the purely West Australian pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis 
(Cephalotaceae); and the Lycopod which few botanists have seen 
growing and which is confined to Australia and New Zealand— 
Phylloglossum Drummondii. The strobili of Phylloglossum were 
readily seen in the short turf, but the small rosettes of pitchers of 
Cephalotus close down on the boggy ground, and covered over by the 
surrounding vegetation, were easily overlooked. Of the other plants 
obtained only some of the most striking can be mentioned here, viz., 
the handsome white-flowered shrub Anthocercis viscosa (endemic, 
