168 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
C. primosa.—Flowering July and part of August, in similar 
places to the last, but also in drier and more exposed areas. 
Hood not pointed, entire, usually purple but sometimes green or 
greyish. Central part of labellum white from the throat out- 
wards for two-thirds of its length, with dark purple lines ex- 
tending to the margin, which is sharply toothed or sometimes 
fringed. Labellum emarginate at the end. Flower rarely as 
widely open as in C. fimbriata, and seldom over tin. in length 
from top of hood to end of labellum. Leaf-veins very faint. 
C. diemenica.—Similar to the last, but margins of both hood 
and labellum quite smooth and entire. Hood and labellum dark 
purple except for the white central part of the latter, and less 
translucent than either of the former species. (When pressed, 
C. fimbriata and C. primosa show their markings beautifully if 
held before a strong light; C. diemenica is quite opaque). Flower 
never opening very widely, and margin of labellum turned up 
prominently. Generally but not always smaller than C. primosa, 
and flowering later. 
In Victoria and Tasmania I have found (@. primosa, after 
the withering of the flower, with flowering-stems elongated as in 
Chiloglottis Gunnii. J have specimens from Relbia, near Laun- 
ceston, with stems almost 9 inches long. When fresh these 
stems were of a delicate purplish-red tint. 
In New South Wales I have invariably found @. primosa 
with the hood grey or green, spotted with purple and having a 
purple line along the centre. The labellum is not white from 
the throat, but about half-way along its length is a dusky patch 
surrounded by a whitish ring. 
C. unginculata and C. bicalcarata are quite distinct from the 
others. The former has a longer flowering-stem in proportion 
to-its size, and the flower before opening strongly resembles 2 
little bird’s head and beak. Like C. bicalcarata it never opens 
widely. The latter of course is easily distinguished by its two 
“spurs” at the tubular base of the labellum, and the great length 
of its hood. The flower is curved over so as to open downwards 
like Pterostylis nutans. The leaf may easily be mistaken for that 
of an Acianthus. On the Alum Mountain, Bulahdelah, there is a 
form (apparently rare) with flowers of a dingy white colour. 
V. Drakaea irritabilis, Reichb—My only specimens are 
from the lower slopes on the W. side of the Alum Mountain, 
Bulahdelah. The plant is fairly common in that loeality, on 
moist ground mainly occupied by Melaleuca serub. Moore and 
Betche’s Handbook, in describing the genus Drakaea, says, 
