i6o Excursion to Mavysville. [v^!*^''xxx'' 



turned out all that could be desired, and the beautiful scenery 

 along the stream was the admiration of all. In about seven 

 miles the pavilion at " The Meeting of the Waters " was 

 reached, and after a little trouble the billy was boiled and 

 luncheon had. After spending as long as we could spare here 

 viewing Keppel's Falls, &c., we turned homewards, making a 

 short detour along the Glover Walk to the Cameron Cascades, 

 a place of exquisite beauty, tree-ferns, beeches, sassafras, 

 and shrubbery combining to make a scene which it is im- 

 possible to describe. A remarkably fine growth of the fern 

 Lomaria fluviatilis was seen here, some of the fronds being 

 three feet in length and in perfect order. One of the largest 

 beeches seen was growing here, its trunk being about eight feet 

 in diameter. Several flowering spikes of the Potato Orchid, 

 Gastrodia sesamoides, were met with, and a plant of Billardiera 

 longiflora, laden with purple fruits, was a notable sight. This 

 plant was subsequently noted in full bloom. The creeper 

 Lyonsia straminea was found in the " Forest of Arden," 

 both in flower and in fruit. Several of the beautiful green 

 and black butterflies, Papilio madeayanus, confined to our 

 higher mountainous districts, were seen flying about the 

 flowering shrubs along the river. The Strap-fern, Lomaria 

 Patersoni, so named from its long, narrow, undivided fronds, 

 was noticed in the deep shade of the beeches in many places. 

 A peculiar globular fungus, Cytharia Gnnnii, which seems to 

 be found only on the beech, was secured by Mr. P. Morrison, 

 in the Forest of Arden, a new locality for this rare species. 

 Some ten years ago I found specimens of this fungus on the 

 same host tree in Myrtle Creek, on the Blacks' Spur. The altitude 

 of the pavilion at " The Meeting of the Waters " was found to 

 be about 600 feet above Marysville, so that the walk was not 

 an arduous one. Afternoon tea was taken at the termination 

 of the Talbot Drive, and the hotel was reached about half-past 

 eight, all having thoroughly enjoyed the fifteen-mile tramp. 



Saturday was devoted to the walk to Bald Hill, another 

 view-point overlooking the Acheron Valley. The day promised 

 to be warm, and, though not a very long journey, it was thought 

 better to take lunch and give a whole day to the trip. From 

 the northern end of the Spur, which is bare of timber, an 

 extensive view of the Acheron Valley, the Cathedral Range, 

 the Black Range, and of Narbethong was obtained. Few 

 flowering plants were met with ; the flowers of Brachycomc 

 diversifolia, which were so fine when seen in October, 1915, 

 were at this time of 3'ear much diminished in size. After 

 spending two or three hours admiring the view, we returned 

 by the route of the morning. This range is of a different 

 geological formation to most of the country around Marysville, 

 being Silurian or Ordovician instead of the prevailing granite 

 or dacite. 



