148 Excursion from Croydon to Belemve. [voi"x'x^iii 



EXriKSION I'KOM ( KO^DON lO lU'lLCK.WK. 

 A PLEASANT moinini^ f,M"cH'tcd the excursion ]>arlv. wiiicli 

 quitted the Hcalcsx-illc train at (roydon on Satiirdaw 14th 

 (October. Owinf,' to the di'^tancc to be traxx-rsed. the coaches 

 were utihzed to Montrose, at the foot of Mount Dandenont( 

 (about 4| miles), where another member joined us, making a 

 total of fifteen, including six ladies. Here the Swamp Paper- 

 bark, Melaleuca ericifolia. Woolly Tea-tree. Lepto<^permiiin 

 lanigeriwi, and (iolden Bush-Pea. Pitltcncca Gitnnii. were found 

 in good flowering condition on the banks of a small creek. The 

 road up the mountain, which rises about 800 feet iu the first 

 mile and a half to the " Devil's Elbow," was now taken. Along 

 it various j)lants were blooming freely, such as the Pink-Eyes. 

 Tetratheca ciliata. Twining (Glycine, Glycine clandestina. Blue 

 Pincushion, Briinonia aiistralis, Alj)ine (irevillea, Grevillea 

 alpina, (ioldcn Goodia. Goodia lotifolia. Austral Indigo. 

 Indigofera aitstraiis. and W'onga Tecoma, Tecoma aiistralis. the 

 latter twining about some sapling " Messmates," Eucalyptus 

 obliqua— the prevailing gum on this part of the range. In 

 addition to the plants, delightful views across the country 

 towards the Yarra \'alley and towards .Melbourne can be obtained 

 at every tuin of the road. The pace was necessarily slow, 

 which gave time to chat about the different objects of interest. 

 At the " Devil's Elbow " some enjoyed a rest, while others 

 secured specimens of the Kidge Snow-Bush. Olearia [Aster) 

 stellulata, var. lirata, and the Myrsine Aster. (J. nivrsinoides, 

 var. eruhescens. and various other smaller flowers. Turning 

 southerly, we soon reached " The (iap," from whence a line 

 view in an easterly direction was obtained, the Warburton 

 hills being very prf)minent. with the Baw Baw> fuither away. 

 We were too late for the majority of the acacias, with their 

 golden blooms, though it is quite possible that the continuous 

 rauis of September considerably shortened their flowering 

 period. Following the road and track to Observatory Peak, 

 we had still three or Unw hmidred feet to ascend before we 

 reached the " trig." station and shelter-shed on Mount 

 Dandenong, 2,070 feet above sea-level. Pimelea axiftora was 

 in evidence along our path in many j^laces, and the common 

 name for this plant, " Rice-flower," ai)pealed to all as being 

 very approjM'iate, the flowers hanging like rice-grains all over 

 the plants. Several of the green-hood orchids (Pterostylis), 

 the Bird Orchid, Chiloglottis Gunnii, and Spider Orchid. 

 Caladenia Patersoni. were alsf) ^-ollected. From the look-out 

 ftne views in various directions are obtainable, which, of course, 

 depend somewhat on the state of the atmosphere. Hazy 

 conditions prevailed towards Melbourne (twenty miles distant), 

 and ])revented us from picking out the more prominent land- 



