THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 143 



the country nursery of the late Mr. J. C Cole, situated in a basin 

 on the banks of the Monbulk Creek. A short sketch of the 

 interesting contents of this charming spot appeared in the 

 Australasian of Saturday, 6th February. 



Descending a rather rough stony hill we came to the Railway 

 Survey Camp on the Monbulk Creek. Here we had been told 

 was a good place to turn northwards into the ranges, and we were 

 fortunate in meeting a resident, who told us there had been a 

 track some twenty years ago up the spur, but we would probably 

 find it rather rough, and leave some of our clothes behind. 



We spent a few minutes on the bank of the creek, and came 

 across Cynoylossum latifolium, a small plant with stems covered 

 with hairlets shaped like minute rose thorns. We found the 

 track without difficulty, and working up the hill met with the 

 usual fern-gully vegetation. Coprosma Billardieri was noted, 

 with its pretty pink or red fruit, and stems of Dianella Tasmanica, 

 a liliaceous plant, were obtained, crowded with beautiful ultra- 

 marine-coloured fruit. Presently we emerged on the top of the 

 hill, from which we got a splendid view of the surrounding 

 country, and, finding a track leading in a northerly direction, 

 decided to follow it. The orchid Dipodium punctatum was 

 obtained in flower, and more stems of Dianella seen. We were 

 now on a comparatively level table-land. Big timber was 

 plentiful, but without beetles under the bark. Such shrubs as 

 Senecio Bedjordi, Aster argophyllus, and Goodia lotifolia were 

 noted, and in places were festooned with Clematis aristata, 

 showing the feathery appendages of the seeds. 



Owing to the heat we looked anxiously for a spring, but were 

 disappointed. At last we came to some settlers' houses, and on 

 making inquiries found we were within almost a stone's-throw of 

 the Sassafras Creek, so determined to make for it and lunch 

 among the fern trees. This important proceeding over, some 

 time was devoted to exploring the banks of the creek. The 

 locality, being evidently a well-used crossing-place, was rather open, 

 consequently the vegetation was somewhat knocked about. The 

 stems of the tree-ferns here were of considerable thickness, and 

 the number of abnormal forms was somewhat remarkable — viz., 

 two and three crowns from one stem, stems leaning over then 

 growing straight up, &c. Owing to the progress of the village 

 settlement scheme the country is being opened up, the protecting 

 eucalytpus killed, and consequently the parasitic ferns, such as 

 Polypodiums and Hymenophyllums, did not present such a flourish- 

 ing appearance as they do in more secluded gullies. Other ferns, 

 such as Lomaria Capense (var. procera), Asplenium bulbij'erum, 

 I'teris incisa, &c, were obtained. A remarkably fine frond of the 

 latter was noted, being fully five feet high, with a stem $4$ of an 

 inch thick. Some Planarians and a land shell were taken under 



