THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 19 
In referring to the “Blue Pimpernel,’ Miller states lc., “Sup- 
posed to be only a variety, but trom thirty years cultivating it 
I can affirm it never alters, and the plants before they show 
their flowers are so different, as to be easily distinguished.” 
During the past six years I have found the “Blue Pimper- 
nel” even wore plentiful in Ashfield than the “Scarlet Pim- 
pernel,” and although generally regarded as a variety under the 
name A. arvensis var. coerulea, I have noticed that it is easily 
distinguished by the narrower and longer calyx-lobe, and the 
petals being distinctly serrated along the edge. It also breeds 
true from seeds. Both the “Searlet’? and “Blue” Pimpernels 
are figured by Sowerby in Smith’s English Botany on Pl. 529 
and 1823 respectively, dated, 1803, but the drawing of the 
“Blue Pimpernel” is rather poor, and does not show the charac- 
ters as clearly as they are seen under an ordinary lens. There 
is, however, a fine coloured drawing of the “Blue Pimpernel” 
in Hayne’s Gewachse on Pl. 46 (1805) which gives a very clear 
contrast of the details of the flower as well as the colour when 
compared with the “Searlet Pimpernel,” also figured in the 
latter work on Pl. 45. As both forms breed true, it seems 
desirable to regard them as distinct species under the respective 
names Anagallis arvensis and foemina. In the Handbook of the 
Flora of New South Wales, p. 525 (1893) by Moore and Betche, 
only the one species is recorded, namely, A. arvensis, but both 
forms are recorded by Ewart, Maiden, and even Bailey refers 
to the blue form without recording specific names. 
Frofessor A. J. Ewart states (Proc. Roy Soe. Victoria, Vol. 
27, p. 297, 1914), that A. arvensis was responsible for the death 
of 23 cage birds at an aviary in Mentone, Victoria. he birds 
were given a few handfuls of chickweed, containing “Pimpernel.” 
Next morning 23 out of about 100 birds were dead. 
OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS AT CLARENCE SIDING. 
By Miss A. A. Brewster, F.C. 
In January, 1921, at Clarence Siding, Blue Mountains. The 
Spotted Diamond Bird (Pardalotus punctatus) was building in 
the side of a low bank around a garden path. The entrance to 
the nest was a little under 2 inches in diameter. 
The Singing Honey-eater (Ptilotis sonorus) had built a 
nest in a Wistaria vine: it was round and open, and contained 
