SCIENTIFIC EXCURSIONS IN NEW HOLLAND. 281 
productive of plants as the environs of Sydney; still there 
are some strikingly beautiful on the mountains of Newcastle, 
and the marshes close to that town. Doryanthes excelsa 
grows near Macquarrie Lake, often attaining a height of 12- 
18 feet; it also inhabits the mountain called the Sugar-loaf, 
between Newcastle and Maitland, and springs up, together 
"With the Grass tree (Xanthorrhea), among the huge blocks 
of pudding-stone. A noble, scarlet-flowered Blandfordia, 
is found in the marshes (but these are now generally dry), 
along with a profusion of Melaleuca (Tea trees), Calothamnus, 
With fine red blossoms, several Leptosperma, Fabricia, and 
Baccharis, 
After a month's stay at Newcastle I ascended the river, 
and visited several interesting geological localities : Harper's 
Hill, where there are many fossil shells ; and Blackcreek, of 
“which I investigated the calcareous formation. I then fixed 
myself for some time at Glendon, a very large farm, the 
Property of Messrs. Scott, who spared no pains to render my . 
researches both easy and agreeable. I noticed a great 
€rence in the Flora here, and even at Harper's river ; the 
ts of the maritime zone having disappeared, and been 
Teplaced by those of the interior. A great variety of small 
eous Leguminose, and the little Mimosa terminalis, 
Ways spring up abundantly after rain; but this blessing is 
30 scarce, that the proprietors are compelled to forego agri- 
culture. Puddingstone is still the prevailing kind of rock, 
mingled with sand stone, of a coarser or finer grain, which 
“eR again passes into puddingstone. Coal exists in many 
‘pots, between Newcastle and Liverpool Range, and may be 
traced along the river banks and by the edges of the little 
S which feed the rivers: as Glendon brook, West 
brook, and many others; and particularly on the burning 
Mountain, Mount Wingen, which is nothing else than a 
Mass of ignited coal, lying below the sand stone; the coal 
‘self is full of the impressions of fossil Ferns. The com- 
Monest sort is one with a lanceolate frond, from an inch to. 
two feet long; butthere are many others, more or less allied 
VOL, Iy. Y 
