222 Weindorfer, The Cradle Mountains, Tasmania. [^"^a irii^^'" 



first glance the existence of some park made by human hands. 

 Among these pines, on the bank of a little creek, we found, 

 surrounded by masses of Lycopodium scariosttm, Arthrotaxis 

 laxifolia, which, so far, we had not noticed anywhere else 

 during our stay in the mountains. 



The bottom of ihe valley, where the rivers meet from the 

 lakes, may be justly called a veritable alpine flower-garden. 

 Grassy plains, gradually merging into button-grass towards the 

 higher elevations, have amongst them specimens of Olearia 

 pinifolia and 0. persoonioides. Soil of a sandy character shows 

 everywhere the white flowers of Bauera rubioides, Euphrasia 

 Brownii, and the gold of Hibhertia angnstifolia. Numerous 

 pools and stagnant swamps, with large sphagnum beds, are 

 luxuriously overgrown with Hypolc&na fastigiata and H. lateri- 

 flora, Myriophyllum peduncnlatum, Restia Juncus, and Carex^ 

 while the river-courses, winding their way along their deep, 

 washed-out beds, are lined by small bushes of Orothamniis 

 obcordata, Olearia lepidophylla, and the gently-rocking inflor- 

 escence of Pimelea li?iifolia, growing in the shade of some trees 

 of Arthrotaxis cupressoides and Fitzroya Archeri. Wherever we 

 look, Boronia pinnatifida, var. citriodora, and B. rhomboidea are 

 in prominence. Further, Epacris microphylla, E. lanuginosa, 

 E. serpillifolia, the snow of their flowers varied by the scarlet 

 of Stylidium graminifolium, the blue of Thelymitra cyanea, or 

 the yellow of Bossic&a cordigera and Pultencea siibninbellata. 



The morning of the loth beginning misty and showery 

 prompted a hurried retreat with our camp outfit to the Cradle 

 hut in the Dove valley, where we arrived at 12 noon ; received 

 there, on opening the door, by its solitary inhabitant, a youthful 

 tiger-cat, which showed a distinct preference to immediately 

 evacuate the inner part of the hut in favour of the new arrivals, 

 and to watch proceedings, especially during dinner hour, 

 through some flooring cracks. The afternoon of that day 

 turning out fine, the irresistible Cradle valley was once more 

 visited, and the following days, during which our companion, 

 Mr. Smith, left for home, the neighbourhood botanically ex- 

 plored and Gaultheria lanceolata and Libertia pulchella secured 

 for our portfolios. On the 13th pack-horse and man arrived, 

 and at 12 noon we set out on the first stage of our homeward 

 journey, following the track down the Dove valley, halting an 

 hour at Pencil-pine Creek, whose open, grassy slopes displayed 

 a charming variety of plant-life. There, the year before, we 

 found the rare little Oenothera Tasmanica, which on this occasion 

 we could not detect again. Epilobiiim Billardierianum, growing 

 in the tussocks, associates with a species of Linum, hitherto 

 undescribed, Leptorrhynchus squamatus, and Myosotis Australis. 

 Amongst the grass, growing along the banks of little streams, 



