230 BOTANY OF VAN DIEMEN’S LAND. 
hedge-sparrows’ eggs strung on slender wires: I could hardly cease 
gathering them. 
We spent two days in an exeursion to one of the highest points 
of the neighbourhood, called * Cuming's Head," between 3000 
and 4000 feet. It was a very fatiguing walk of six hours to the 
summit, the track lying through an excessively thick and entangled 
bush, among which we had to force our way; sometimes creeping, 
sometimes edging sideways, and often walking along prostrate logs 
of gigantic dimensions. In some places the whole undergrowth was 
made up of Bedfordia, growing close and rod-like. At about half the 
elevation we came on a dense forest of Beeches, and passed some Fern 
valleys; and at last emerged above the wood, to scramble up a steep 
ascent of piled rocks near the summit. On reaching the top we had 
to descend over the ridge about 100 feet to a table-land, where we 
encamped near some pools of delicious water, and where we enjoyed 
a little glimpse of alpine botany. Two species of Leptospermum were 
in vast abundance and in full flower on the summit, and many smaller 
shrubs were interspersed; as several Eurybie, a Baccharis, Boronia 
rhomboidea, etc. Gleichenia alpina, which Mr. Archer thinks is only 
an alpine form of G. dicarpa, and I am disposed to agree with him, 
covered the whole plain. Drosera Arcturi was blossoming by the 
margins of the pools. Gentiana montana in full flower, and G. Dieme- 
nensis going out, and in seed; the former much the handsomest. I 
found specimens of Dr. Hooker’s genus Pozoopsis, but whether a variety 
or species cannot say; it differs from his description in having hairy 
leaves. One of the most remarkable things on the table-land was the 
green cushions of many feet in diameter and very compact, formed pri- 
marily of a Mniarum,* but among which grow a great number of 
minute things,—as Plantago Gunnii,a minute Composita, and Per- 
nettia Tasmanica, the latter completely buried in the cushion, except 
its berries and the tips of its branches. A very showy Helichrysum 
with short stems and crocus-coloured flowers was abundant, and some 
handsome Senecios. On the whole, the table-land was pretty gay: 
. considering the lateness of the season: a few weeks earlier it must 
_ have been quite a garden. We descended a ravine at one side to see 
the Pines (Arthotawis lycopodioides and cupressoides) which grow abun- 
. dantly on the margins of a little stream, the woods round being com- 
= ~ * Probably a Composite plant, Se/ero/eima.—Ep. 
WANTS CIS MERERI CU DP UPDT UD] rU SUN POLE, eS: SQUTRCUNR SL AMATS SH TRANSIRE. IM. Em oS nnam 
