28 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



are given. In .September, i860, he visited the Genoa River, 

 East Gippsland. On 25th December of the same year he 

 ascended Mt. Baw Baw, one of the peaks of which is now known 

 as Mt. Mueller, returning to Melbourne by the Yarra track, and 

 in March, 1861, he visited the sources of the Macallister River, 

 towards Mt. Howitt, in company with Angus M'Millan, the 

 discoverer of Gippsland. 



The accompanying map shows, approximately, the routes of 

 Dr. Mueller's three journeys, distinguished by one, two, and 

 three dots respectively, with their direction marked by arrows. 



A Fungus Note. — Entering Albert Park, South Melbourne, by 

 the north-east gate on Good Friday morning, my attention was at 

 once attracted by numerous white patches, which at first glance 

 appeared as if some persons had been tearing up white paper into 

 small pieces and scattering it broadcast. On approaching closer 

 it was found that these patches were fungi of the species Coprinus 

 comatus, Fries., and that they were there in hundreds, if not 

 thousands. The fungus is one which is listed as edible in Cooke's 

 " Australian Fungi," but I fancy few people would care to sample 

 it. Young specimens are pure white, but they gradually become 

 darker and deliquesce, emitting a peculiar odour. A peculiar 

 characteristic of this fungus is that it always follows the close 

 occupation of land by man. At one time it was proposed to 

 print the Bank of England notes with ink containing the spores of 

 this fungus, as they are so very minute — very much smaller than 

 those of an ordinary puff-ball — that the ink would contain such 

 quantities of them that the notes would be readily identifiable on 

 microscopic examination. — F. G. A. Barnard. 



A Giant Eucalypt. — The Leader of i^th May contains an 

 excellent reproduction of a photograph by Mr. N. J. Caire of a 

 giant eucalypt, said to be the largest in Victoria, recently 

 discovered near the Cumberland Falls, in the Yarra Ranges, at 

 an elevation of 2,600 feet, and about 11 miles from Marysville. 

 The tree is a fine specimen of the White Manna Gum, B. 

 viminalis, and, at about six feet up the trunk measures, with the 

 tape tightly drawn, 58 feet in circumference. It has been a very 

 tall tree, but the top has been blown off at a height of about 180 

 feet from the ground. Even there the trunk is probably four or 

 five feet through. Scientists have estimated the age of these giant 

 trees at from 1,200 to 2,000 years. It is to be hoped that the 

 new giant will not share the fate of the " Neerim Giant," " Big 

 Ben," on the Black Spur, and other notable trees, which have 

 been destroyed by fire. 



