^^|g'] Patox, The Buffalo Plateau in January. 159 



told to insinuate himself into it, and look upwards. On doing 

 so, he gazes into a darkness made visible by numerous 

 scintillating points of light, like stars in the firmament— the 

 glow-worms which inhabit the cavern. Then, returning as he 

 came, he emerges into daylight again, having seen and heard 

 the " underground river " — thankful that it is all over. 



So ended our week of almost perfect enjoyment. Friday 

 morning saw us in the coach, rattling down the mountain side ; 

 Friday night saw us in smoky Melbourne — and all was over. 



The following list of October-flowering plants may be of 

 interest as compared with the above January lists : — 

 Ranunculus Gnnnianus, Caltha intraloba, Tetratheca pilosa, 

 Boronia algida, Eriostemon alpinus, Micrantheum hexandrum, 

 Daviesia lati folia, Hovea heterophylla, Acacia penninervis, A. 

 alpina, A. longifolia, A. dealbata, Baeckea diffusa, Grevillea 

 Victorice, Pimelea alpina, Styphelia (two species), Epacris 

 micro phylla, Luzula campestris. 



Few introduced plants have intruded on the Plateau. Along 

 the road are a few thistles. The Flat-weed, Hypochceris 

 radicata, and White Clover were seen near The Chalet and 

 camping-ground. 



I would urge on any who have not visited the Buffalo its 

 claims from a naturalist's point of view. An observer in almost 

 any branch would be amply repaid, whilst there are few places 

 more suited for the purpose of pure holiday-making. 



[From the foregoing paper it would seem that the vegetation 

 of the Plateau has suffered little at the hands of the tourist 

 since its opening up to that traffic some nine or ten years ago. 

 For an account of the physical features of the Plateau the reader 

 is referred to the illustrated memoir (No. 6) by Mr. E. J. Dunn, 

 F.G.S., issued by the Geological Survey Department in 1908 

 (see Vict. Nat., June, 1908). — Ed. Vict. Nat.] 



I 



Another Great Gift. — In many instances collectors of 

 natural history objects have had the collecting habit aroused 

 in them in their boyhood days by the collecting of postage 

 stamps. In the December Natttralist some account was given 

 of the great gift by Mr. H. L. White, of Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W., 

 to the National Museum, Melbourne, of his magnificent collec- 

 tion of Australian bird-skins. Now we have the same gentle- 

 man handing over to the Mitchell Library, Sydney, his 

 wonderful collection of New South Wales postage stamps, 

 valued at £15,000, as a gift to the nation. A portrait of Mr. 

 White appears in the January Emu. 



