156 THK VICTOKIAN NATURALIST. 



On the perpendicular sides of the Gorge, in any cleft where a 

 little soil has lodged, the hardy Aster cehnisia has found a home, 

 forming there, with its large white flowers, a striking contrast to 

 the dark walls of the Gorge. 



VISIT TO MOUNT BOGONG. 



Having secured a great number of specimens during the four days 

 of our slay in the Buffalos, I welcomed a proposal from Dr. Sutton 

 to pay a visit to Mount Bogong, some thirty miles away, which in 

 the distance appeared both majestic and imposing, and seemed 

 to challenge us to explore and carry off its botanic treasures. 

 For that reason we both left for " Ernani," on the Eurobin, on 

 Monday evening, the 28th. Tuesday, the 29th, saw us early in 

 the morning making our way on horseback, vid Porepunkah, to 

 Bright, where we made the acquaintance of a gentleman from the 

 Kiewa Valley, in whose company we rode to Tawonga. The 

 road leads from Bright about three miles along the Ovens River, 

 through partly cultivated land, and is lined on both sides with 

 bushes of Acacia pravissima, among which an occasional 

 flowering Bursaria spinosa may be seen. The road crosses the 

 Ovens, and we then ascend the range which separates the Ovens 

 from the Kiewa Valley. On this road, which leads for about 

 three miles along the German Creek, we met with a great variety 

 of plant life. The creek vegetation consisted mostly of familiar 

 bushes, such as Zieria smithii, Atlierosperma moscltatum, Aster 

 argojjhylhis, Pf'ostanthera lasiantha, Cryj^ta^idra liookeri, &c., 

 here and there overlooked by the light green fronds of the Valley 

 Tree-Fern, Dicksonia billardieri. From where we leave the 

 creek, both sides of this beautifully constructed road were covered 

 with a mass of Persoonia chamaepeiice, Veronica derweidia, 

 Lomatia ilicijolia, different species of Senecio, Cassinia longi- 

 folio, C. aculeat'i, Gompholobium huegelii, Grevillea alpina, 

 Co2Jrosi)ia billardieri, and Daviesia ulicina. 



After a ride of twenty-five miles we arrived at a cattle 

 station in the Kiewa Valley, the nearest house to Bogong, whose 

 hospitable owner, a Mr. Duane, was kind enough to invite us to 

 a " shake-down " for the night. 



As it was a distance of fourteen miles from here to the top of 

 Mount Bogong, we had to make an early start the next morning, 

 and were guided by our host, who kindly undertook to put us on 

 to the only possible ascent of Bogong from this side. Our way 

 went along numerous paddocks, in which stood here and there 

 gxon^s oi iXQQS oi Eucalyptus amygdalina, the remnants of the 

 original forests left by the bush-clearing settler. After a two 

 miles ride the outrunners or spurs of Mount Bogong became 

 narrower, and we entered a rich under-shrub, chiefly consisting of 

 Leptospertnuin lanigerum, Hymenaatliera banksii, Acacia pravis- 



