i68 AuDAS, ^ Botanist in the Portland District. [voV'^xxxiii 



specimens ha\c been collected at Mount Hotham, a north- 

 eastern locality. 



Advancing, the rugged cliffs at Shelly Beach give place to 

 great sand dunes, which front the coast-line for several miles 

 towards Bridgewater Bay. Until recent years these dunes 

 were almost destitute of vegetation, hut now many are clothed 

 with ;i dense growth of the beautiful, tall, graceful plumes of 

 Ammophila anindinace-ii — the king of sand-stay plants. This 

 grass has prowd itself the most valuable of iilants for re- 

 claiming or fixing drifting sand, and was introduced from 

 Europe to this State by the late Baron von Mueller in 1883. 

 It thrives on these dunes, where large areas of jilants are 

 growing from two lo six feet in height, and known under the 

 different vernaculars as Sea Reed, Sand Reed, Marram (irass, 

 and Mat Grass. Its habit of growth is similar to that of Mat 

 or (Ouch grasses. The young ]-)lant extends a long, creephig 

 root, from which, at intervals of from three to five inches, a 

 tuft arises and forms a tussock. From this tussock smaller 

 roots penetrate, and when drift sands rise the tuft forms roots 

 higher and higher, thus preventhig the complete destruction 

 of tlu' i)lant and forming a rise of fixed sand. When growing 

 xigorouslj- the tussocks comliine, thus making a dense mass 

 difficult to walk through. The leaf blades, when yoimg, are of 

 a pale green colour, which darken towards maturity. Large 

 areas have recently been j)lanted in this locality, under tlie 

 supervision of the Lands Department, for reclamation ]nuj)oses. 

 The method of jilanting is usually in row> about six feet apart, 

 the space between each ])lant being aljout two feet. During 

 my ramble on the sand-hills I came upon several patches of 

 other sand-binding grasses, both native and introduced. 

 Among the native species the best was the Hairy Spinifex, 

 Spinifex Inrsitliis. and Seaside Fescue, Fcsiiica littoralis, a 

 strong, good fodder ])lant. 



From the smnmit of Cape Bridgewater, which is about 400 

 feet above sea-level, an unrivalled j)anorami( view is obtainetl. 

 Here on the one hand is ("ai)e Nelson, with the sea-mist of 

 Portland Bay behind, and at oui- feet Bridgewater Bay, with 

 its peculiar herring-bone reefs. On the other hand is the broad 

 expanse of ocean sweejnng into the low. rough. reef-bo\nid 

 coast, and beyond the golden-sanded shore of Discovery Bay 

 curving away to Cape Northimiberland in the blue distance. 

 On the low-lying shore of Discovery Bay the chain of the 

 Bridgewater lakes is discernible, and a remarkable fact in 

 connection with the two largest is that one is salt while the 

 other is quite fresh, although only a few feet of soil separate 

 them. In tin- background rises Mount Kincaid io the west, 

 and M(JU4it Richmond and Mount Clav, to the north of Port- 



