THE VICTORIAN NATDRALIST. 157 



sima, Kunzea pedtcnailaris, Pimelea axiflora, Exoearpus cupres- 

 sijormis, Omphacoineria acerba, Banksia collina, and Hakea 

 microcarpa. We observed a few trees of Banksia integrifolia 

 (which is not recorded for the north-east in the " Key "), also 

 Acacia melanoxylon, A. jjromineiis, and A. dealbata. At a 

 distance of six miles from our starting point we left the under- 

 shrub, which occasionally was interrupted by creeks, with a 

 splendid development of fern life, and began our climb along a 

 spur rising at about 30 to 45°, whicli was covered with a forest 

 of Eucalyptus sieheriana. This route is occasionally used by 

 travelling stock, and shows here and there traces of a track. 

 However, fallen trees across the back of the small spur and 

 boulders of rocks made riding impossible. 



At the foot of the spur and on the waterless declivity of the 

 sub-alpine region the vegetation was not very promising. We 

 met there with Acacia penninervis, Persoonia confertijlora^ Lomatia 

 ilicfolia, Daviesia latijolia, D, ulicina, Veronica derweniia, and 

 Haloragis tetragona, to which we added in higher elevations 

 Goodenia hederacea, Dianella tasmanica, and Candollea serr'ulata. 

 At an elevation of about 5,000 ft. we entered the snow-gum scrub, 

 Eibcalyjitus coriacea, which was there interspersed with GreviUea 

 Victoria! (better developed in its flowers than on the Buffalos), 

 Acacia alpina, A. penninervis, Bossicea foliosa, and Pimelea 

 ligustrina. About i o'clock we arrived at the cairn, 6,508 ft. 

 above sea-level. Here we were surrounded by a dense fog, only 

 occasionally allowing a view of other mountains or down into the 

 valley. 



The proper alpine region of Mt. Bogong is, at its west side, 

 not very rich in the variety of plant-growth. The plateau around 

 the cairn shows no compact mass of vegetation. Bunches of 

 grasses alternate with large spots of barren ground, sometimes 

 interrupted by a white cluster formed by so many flowers of 

 Claytonia australasica or the Victorian Eidelvveiss, Leontopodium 

 catipes, both of which species were there well developed. On 

 the slope between the tree-line and the table-land, where water 

 occasionally percolates through the rocks, we met with Pimelea 

 alpina and P. axijiora var. alpina, GreviUea australis, 

 Helichrysum leucopsidium, Bracliycome scapiformis, B. nivalis, 

 Aster 7nyrsinoides, A. celmisia, Oxylohium procumbens, Styphelia 

 montana, and Euphrasia brownii, the last-named species very 

 rich in its flowers. 



Neither the anticipated botanical result nor the view which we 

 expected to have got from Mt. Bogong could induce us to a 

 longer stay, and so we started on our return journey shortly after 

 2 p.m., and arrived at the cattle station in the Kiewa Valley at 

 7.30, where we again took shelter for the night. 



On Thursday morning, 31st December, we made our way 



