'^"fb'] Pitcher and Sticklanu, A Week at Marysville. 59 



" Banyallas " were over 20 feet in lieight. and sonii' ot them 

 were covered from the bottom to the top with their lich yellow 

 coloured blooms. All the way along the valley we passed 

 through avenues of the tall Mountain Ash eucalypt, and 

 occasionally observed fine lofty trees of the River White (ium, 

 E lie aly plus radiata. Stately specimens of the spiny-stemmed 

 Hill Tree -Fern, of varying heights up to 30 feet, were disposed 

 about in picturesque positions. Some of their new fronds 

 measured over nine feet in length. The smaller ferns were 

 seen in great luxuriance along our jiath. The Prickly Shield- 

 Fern. Aspidiiiii! aculeatiim, had fronds over four feet in length, 

 while the fronds of Lofiiaria capensis were both of a large and 

 extremely bright bronze-red colour throughout. The Common 

 Lomaria. L. discolor, had fronds 5 feet 6 inches high. The new 

 fronds of the Batswing Fern, Pteris incisi7, were seen here, too, 

 of greater length than hitherto observed. Fine specimens of 

 the Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata. Native Sassafras, Athcro- 

 sperma moschata, and Blackwood, Acacia melanoxylon, al)ound 

 near the waiter's edge and along our path. 



After two miles of this " Valley Beautiful " track are passed, 

 we cross a tributary stream of the Taggerty River, known as 

 " Tommy's Bend Creek," and then reach a spot marked " Beech 

 drove. " All along the track we notice the Myrtle Beech trees, 

 Fagus CinuiingJiami, but at this spot they are very abundant, and 

 provide a distinctive contrast to the foliage of the eucalypts 

 with which they are surrounded. Near here is a resting-place 

 provided for parties with motors or other vehicles. Journeying 

 on. we find ourselves in what is called " Murray Pass," so 

 named, we presume, after a former Chief Secretary of this State, 

 whose decease took \)VACt only last week. At a bend in the 

 road now we obtain some fine views of the mountain forest and 

 valleys on the opposite side of the river. The Cathedral Range 

 appears to terminate there with the eastern slopes of Mount 

 ^largaret. These slopes are tree-fern-clad from top to their 

 l)ases at the river's edge. It was here that we met with a fine 

 patch of the beautiful Long-leaved Waxflower, Eriostemon 

 myoporoides, specimens of which are on the table to-night. 

 The ])lants were misually large, being over six feet in height, 

 and were just in their perfection of pink and white blooms. 

 Some pieces were taken for propagation purposes. At five 

 miles fiom the entrance to the " Drive " we came to what is 

 called " The F'orest of Arden." Here is the termination of 

 the vehicular track, and a good resting and picnicking ground. 

 We reached this place the prc\ious Friday, but were forced to 

 return. consideral)ly drenched by the rain. At this s])ot and 

 onward are to be seen magnificent specimens of our Myrtle 

 Beeches. They are the principal feature of the forest hereabout, 



