THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 113 



it was leading away from Mt. Gibbo, so camped near the remains 

 of an old hut. 



2ist March.— During the morning Mr. Thorn followed the 

 track for 2 miles north, while I examined the valley to the east, 

 when we decided to return to the source of the Saltpetre and 

 follow the main ridge to Gibbo. On tlie return journey Mr. 

 Walker was violently kicked on the leg by one of the horses and 

 crippled for the remainder of the trip. On reaching the saddle 

 of the range, therefore, we camped on a knoll overlooking both 

 valleys, and found good water a few hundred yards from camp. 



22nd March.— This was Sunday, so, while Mr. Walker rested, 

 Mr. Thorn made a traverse of the spur to Wild Boar, while I 

 pushed on along the main range towards Gibbo, hoping to find 

 a practicable route for the horses. A Copper-headed Snake 

 3 feet 3 inches long was killed on a very rocky ridge far from 

 water. One part of this range was covered with a dense growth 

 of Native Hop, Daviesia latifoJia, about 15 to 20 feet high. The 

 prevailing timber on these lower spurs was Peppermint, Black- 

 butt, Wattle, Acacia dealbata, and Native Hop, which grew 

 profusely on a reddish-yellow loam, derived from argillaceous 

 slates. As the ridge grew higher the vegetation described gave 

 place, about 5 miles from camp, to gnarled and stunted Snow 

 Gum scrub, up to 25 feet high, richly clothed with moss. There 

 was no track, but only a few old blazes, most of them obliterated 

 by decay and moss. Many of the trees were dead, and the ridge 

 was strewn with pieces of this timber, rendering progress tedious 

 and slow. Whether these trees had been killed by bush fires or 

 iiisects was not ascertained. Numerous male and female Lyre- 

 birds were perched among the trees, and were not at all shy, but 

 rather inquisitive. A very extensive view to the west, showing 

 the Victorian Alps and Mounts Bogong and Feathertoi) was 

 obtained from the top of one of the trees, but the outlook 

 towards Gibbo was by no means promising along the ridge, 

 though, probably, the flanks of the range below the Snow Gum 

 limit might have been practicable. With this unsatisfactory 

 information a return was made to camp, where we decided to try 

 on the morrow to cut our way ihrough the dense Hop scrub. The 

 rocks noticed in this area were slates and sandstones similar to 

 those on Mt. Wild Boar, while about the camp the strata were 

 principally bluish-grey slates and fine to coarse yellowish 

 micaceous and siliceous sandstones, having a general N.N.W. 

 strike and high dip to E.N.E. 



A sharp syncline occurs about 3 miles down one of the 

 branches of Wheeler's Creek. To the west of this creek, on 

 the track, there is a small area showing evidence of contact 

 metamorphism. In passing over this patch from south to north 

 the following rocks are observable :— (i) normal blue slate, (2) 

 slightly spotted slate, (3) fine sandstone, (4) spotted slates, (5) 



