136 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Senecio dryadeus were in full flower close by. The butterflies 

 Xenica achanta and ^Y. Klugii were fairly common. 



Having somewhat satisfied the inner man, we passed the former 

 site of an old sawmill, and struck a road leading up the side of the 

 range towards Mrs. Hand's. Ascending this road we were pleased 

 to find how the country is recovering from the effects of the bush- 

 fires two years ago, which were rather severe hereabouts. We 

 had not proceeded far before Grevillea alpma was found in flower 

 — rather unusual, I think, in January. Soon some magnificent 

 spikes of the orchid Dipodium punctatiom were obtained, while 

 the charming blue spikes of Lobelia anceps were abundant every- 

 where. Comespernta erlcinum was also noticed in bloom. Com- 

 ing to a mountain streamlet, almost dry, another halt was called, 

 and close by Gratiola Peruviana, a mimulus-like plant, was 

 noticed in bloom, with plants of Gleviatis aristata climbing over 

 the fallen logs. Close by the only mushroom of the trip was 

 gathered. Our road now kept along the side of the hill, on which 

 numerous bushes of Lomatia ilicifolia, bearing their delicate white 

 flowers, were growing. A good specimen of the beetle Schizo- 

 rrhina Christii was taken on the ground, evidently fallen from a 

 tall eucalypt. Here we got a splendid view across to the town- 

 ship of Lilydale, with the Christmas Hills in the far distance. 

 Pinielia axifiora was flowering here, and a very robust form of 

 Kennedya tnonophylla was noticed ; also a nice young plant of 

 Panax sainbiicifolius. Having reached an altitude of several 

 hundred feet above the valley of the Olinda Creek, we turned 

 down into a fern gully, unfortunately somewhat damaged by the 

 fires of previous years, though the plants of Blechnum cartilaginenm 

 seemed all the better for it, and many of their fronds were of a 

 bright pink colour. Some plants of the Native Elder bearing their 

 currant-like fruits were noticed here. Working down the gully 

 towards the Olinda Creek, little of interest was noted, but some 

 very fine eucalypts still exist there, being apparently situated in 

 such position as rendered them too expensive to get out for the 

 sawmill in former days. A composite flower, Siegesbeckia 

 orientalis, was rather plentiful here. Several of the tree ferns 

 (Dicksonia) had bifurcating stems; in one case a triple crown was 

 noted. After travelling down a rather rough track we again came 

 in sight of civilization, and passing through an orchard and garden 

 found ourselves once more on the bank of the Olinda about half a 

 mile east of where we had ascended the mountain. Here we saw 

 the first snake of the day — it was on the top of a post — but it had 

 been killed some time previously. The road here is bordered 

 with a wealth of shrubs, &c., and passing here one Queen's Birth- 

 day, some years ago, the epacris in bloom was a sight to be remem- 

 bered. Reaching our luncheon place of the morning we made a 

 rather long halt, and despatched our evening meal, after which some 



