JOURNEY IN THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS. 179 
of these withered flowers their own dried up, barren ovary, with its 
unfertilized ovules, and if Mr. Neisler will compare these barren ovaries 
with those of the female flowers before the stipes has lengthened above 
a line or two, he will find the latter very different in shape, smaller in 
size, with a small sessile stigmate, wholly incompatible with the sup- 
position of its ever having borne the long filiform style of the barren 
ones. The presence of imperfect flowers, deprived of corolla and even 
of calyx, but more prone to form their seed than the more showy and 
perfect ones on the same plant, is a phenomenon of not unfrequent 
occurrence among Leguminose, especially in several genera of Phaseclea - 
and Hedysaree, and has also been observed in other Natural Orders, 
such as Cistinee, Violacee, Malpighiacee, etc. 
The Government Botanist's Report of his Journey from Melbourne to 
Omeo in the Australian Alps, dated Omeo, 16th December, 1854. 
Leaving Melbourne on the Ist of November, I travelled through the 
Ferntree Gullies to the La Trobe River, and thence to the Avon, and 
ascended Mount Wellington from the ranges of the latter stream on the 
14th of November. The altitude of this mountain appears to me more 
than 5000 feet, a snow-storm lasting here, even at so advanced a season, 
for a whole day. The main journey to the central part of the Austra- 
lian Alps I commenced again from the Avon on the 22nd of November, 
proceeding to the Mitchell River, and thence to the Dargo. Following 
along the scrubby ranges between this river and the Wentworth, I 
crossed the Dividing Range between the waters of Gipps Land and those 
of the Murray River near the upper part of the Cabongra. Thence I 
traversed a grassy table-land in a north-easterly direction along the 
Cabongra downwards, until the country appeared practicable, towards 
the north, to reach the highest part of the Bogong Ranges. 
The ranges hereabouts, which never before have been traversed by. 
civilized men, are generally fertile, and timbered with the mountain 
White Gum-tree (Eucalyptus phlebophylla). ae 
On the 8rd of December I ascended the south-eastern of the two. 
highest mountains of the Bogong Range. In its upper regions even 
the vegetation of bushes ceases, the slightly arched summit being 
covered with alpine grasses and herbs. About noon I ascertained the 
boiling-water point to be 198°, according to Fahrenheit's thermometer, 
