■JO Williamson, A Cycle Trip through East Gippsland . [^'^'ugi^f'' 



feel sure the vicinity of this creek during the month of Novem- 

 ber would yield a fine " bag " to the collector. 



In the afternoon I cycled to Orbost, passing twt> houses of 

 accommodation on the way — and I may here mention that these 

 places, from what I saw and what I was told, are fairly plentiful 

 in East Gippsland, so that tourists need not fear having to 

 camp out when not prepared for it. At intervals, " patches " 

 of Bell-birds or Bell Miners, Manorhina melanophrys, occur, the 

 fascinating notes — not unlike those obtained by striking a glass 

 tumbler — coming with incessant tinkling from creek bottoms 

 and swamp margins. The note of this bird is not so full and 

 liquid as that of the Crested Bell-bird, Orsoica cristata, of 

 Northern Victoria, which displays, in addition, a wonderful 

 ventriloquial power. A new acquaintance I also made in the 

 Spotted Ground-bird — suitably named, for it rarely leaves the 

 ground and logs. When it does fly, it rises with a noise like 

 that of a quail's flight, hence one of its local names — " Quail 

 Thrush." At Hospital Creek I came across large specimens of 

 Alisma plantago. Water Plantain, associated with Water- 

 Ribbon, Triglochin procera, and Floating Pond-weed. Pota- 

 mogeton nutans. 



The approach to Orbost is down a steep road cut round a 

 limestone bluff. The view of the Snowy valley from this bluft 

 is very fine. One sees miles of level alluvial flats covered with 

 a staple product — maize — 7,000 acres being under that crop 

 this season. About 300 acres of beans, chiefly Canadian 

 Wonder, were also coming on. Dairying is an important 

 industry of the district, 300,000 lbs. of butter fat having been 

 sent to Orbost factory, and ;^i3,ooo distributed to suppliers, 

 during 1910. Since my visit, however, I have heard that much 

 destruction has been wrought by the floods, many acres of the 

 maize and beans being rendered valueless. 



The first thing that impressed me as I rode along the tracks 

 on the flats was the luxuriance of the introduced alien plants. 

 The land not actually under cultivation is a forest of thistles 

 (chiefly Spotted Thistle, Carduus marianus), nettles, docks, 

 horehound, and numerous pests that are found in all well- 

 watered places. Thorn Apple, Datura stramonium, is very 

 abundant, and in the low parts near the junction of the 

 Brodribb and Snowy Rivers, where the influence of the tide is 

 in evidence. Celery-leaved Crowfoot, Ranunculus sceleratus, is 

 spreading. Up the river from the bridge I saw, for the first 

 time, the Great Mullein, Verbascum Thapsus, a plant 6 feet 

 high, with leaves 18 inches by 7 inches. 



For miles along the river, towards the mouth, the track, 

 just wide enough for a cart, runs between a forest of thistles 

 and blackberries, and, where one can see over and through 



