Dec, 1907,] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 131 



would-be picnickers, whose matches and lenticular ends of broken 

 bottles are often the cause of disaster. 



On the Plenty Ranges, as on the Black Spur (1905), I noticed 

 what may be regarded as a sort of compensation for damage 

 done by fire — viz., that where valuable timber is killed or spoiled 

 a great deal of unornamental and almost uninteresting vegetation, 

 together with much outlawed vermin, is blotted out completely, 

 in many places the tangled undergrowth being replaced with 

 thickets of ornamental and useful acacias of various species — 

 the appearance of the Golden or Broad-leafed Wattle, Acacia 

 pycnantha, some years ago on the northern face of the Black 

 Spur being an example. 



At Wombat Creek, more usually known as Smith's Gully, one 

 may turn aside from the track to examine the natural fernery close 

 at hand — a fernery through which comes much of the water 

 consumed in the city. In June, the Valley Tree Fern, Dicksonia 

 antarctica, and the Hill Tree Fern, Alsophila australis, had a 

 little immature fruit on some fronds, but the rich red fruiting of 

 Osmunda barbara had not commenced, nor were there any signs 

 of sporing on the fronds of Uteris aquilina, while the Lomarias 

 were in only vegetative condition. 



Ascending the sleep spur road which rises from Wombat 

 Creek to the top of the range, many plants worth a second glance 

 were passed in review, but most of them were not flowering, and 

 many had not buds. Through gaps in the undergrowth, one 

 caught sight of the tall Silver Wattles, Acacia dealbata, and 

 Blackwoods, A. melanoxylon ; nearer at hand were A. verti- 

 cillata, twelve feet in height, and A. linearis, a little lower, both 

 with young buds, while A. juniper ina was already in bloom. It 

 was too early for even the buds of Cassinia actdeata. Blooming 

 and in plenty were Correa speciosa and Epacris imj)ressa, the 

 white form of the latter being conspicuous, but there was no sign 

 of the red variety. Cryptandra Hookeri at a distance appeared 

 like some other plant, with a profusion of nearly white flowers, 

 the deception being created by the terminal light brown or creamy 

 coloured spring foliage. On both sides of the track the scarlet 

 flowers of Grevillea alpina were strongly in evidence. Equally 

 plentiful was a shrub, which I took to be Fidtoima daphnoides. 

 Later on this and several other leguminous shrubs would 

 add very effectively to the colour scheme. Many smaller 

 plants shelter among these, but of their number the only one in 

 bloom was Teiratheca ciliata which in this locality has been 

 reported in bloom as late as January. Platylobium obius- 

 angulum had barely begun to bud, while of CandoUea serrulata 

 only dead plants of last season were frequent along the track. 

 Later in the spring, the gem, perhaps, of all the flowers here- 

 abouts, Eriostemon corrie/oliict; with its delicate lemon-coloured 

 flowers, may be seen in great abundance. 



