Ma 



^gj'g] Excursion to Toolangi. 175 



One cannot describe the beauty of everything, especially on 

 such a favourable day. The Star Fern, Gleichenia circinata, 

 grew here most luxuriantly — one might almost say by the 

 acre. There were huge banks of it along the stream, and in 

 one place a little island covered with it. The Falls were beauti- 

 ful, but we were not tourists — only naturalists. They were 

 reached only after the party had been revived with lunch. 

 Our way back was up a very steep hill covered with the Hop 

 Goodenia, G. ovata, wire-grass, and shrubby acacias, inter- 

 spersed with shapely Blackbutts, EitcalypUis pilitlaris, standing 

 tall and straight. We passed a lovely small tree which our 

 leader recognized as the Tree Geebung, Persoonia arborea ; 

 it has edible fruits, and is known locally as the " Johnny Bright 

 Plum." Altogether, it was a most enjoyable day. On Monday 

 we were fortunate in getting Mr. Smedley, of Alanbee House, 

 to be our guide. He took us past a little bush saw-mill, across 

 a swamp full of tea-tree, with plenty of the pretty little 

 Utricularia showing its bright purple flowers ; then up some 

 very steep hills covered with shrubs and big timber to Smedley' s 

 Falls. They were very lovely, but their surroundings were 

 very different to the Sylvia Falls we had visited the day before. 

 Then we went to another saw-mill, passing on the way masses 

 of Clematis aristata and Tecoma aiistralis climbing up the 

 eucalypts b}^ their strong, rope-like stems. At the mill we 

 saw so many magnificent logs of Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus 

 regnans, and talked so much about timber, that we left fancying 

 ourselves timber experts. Tired as we were, our enthusiasm 

 was revived by the finding of the dear little pink orchid 

 Spiranthes aiistralis, one of the gems of our summer-flowering 

 plants. After dinner some of the party got ready for their 

 return to Yarra Glen and home, the rest staying till next 

 morning and leaving at the early hour of 5 a.m. to catch the 

 morning train to town, fortunately the heavy rain keeping 

 off till we had reached the station. Many more trees and shrubs 

 common to our elevated mountain districts were noticed, but I 

 think I have said enough to show that Toolangi is well worth 

 a visit by a nature-lover. There are also many birds to be 

 seen and heard, but our party did not include an ornithologist. 



— C. C. CURRIE. 



[A report of a previous excursion to Toolangi will be found 

 in the Naturalist for February, 1910 (vol. xxvi., p. 144). — 

 Ed. Vict. Nat.] 



