154 THE VICTORIAN NATURALlSt. 



and lanceolata, were plentiful, but L. patersoni was not seen, 

 though considerable search was made for it. Pteris comans and 

 P. incisa were also plentiful, but P, arguta (tremula) was not 

 met with. 



In scrambling through the forest two plants offered us con- 

 siderable resistance, the Native Nettle, Urtica hicisa, and the 

 Wire Grass, Ehrharta juiicea. Intermingled with, and closely 

 resembling, the nettle, grew the inoffensive Australina pusilla, 

 evidently, conscious of its weakness, associating with its more 

 offensive neighbour for protection. 



Among the trees and shrubs characteristic of the forest must 

 be mentioned the Wild Olive, Notelcea ligustrhia, Vent. 

 (Jasminese), which has here its principal habitat in Victoria. A 

 specimen measured fifty feet in height, with a stem of eighteen 

 feet to the first branch, and a girth of eight feet. At a 

 distance this tree might be mistaken for a small Blackwood. It 

 grows on the ridges as well as in the valleys, and has a hard, 

 close-grained, dark-coloured wood, locally known as " Plum- 

 wood," presumably on account of the colour. Fruit specimens 

 only were obtainable. Residents say that the fruits are white, 

 red, or blue on separate trees, but all that we saw were very dark, 

 almost black. Seedlings are very numerous, and form a large 

 part of the scrub. 



Another somewhat local shrub or tree is the Satin Box, Erios- 

 temon squameus. This grows in similar localities to the Olive, 

 but seems to prefer the slopes and ridges. We saw no large 

 specimens of this tree, but logs were pointed out to us which 

 measured thirty feet in length, with a diameter of twelve to 

 eighteen inches. The wood is very durable, and surveyors' pegs, 

 in the ground for twenty years, were practically as sound as when 

 first used. It is reputed to resist the ravages of the white ant. 

 The smaller bushes were bearing fruit abundantly. The 

 unpleasant smell which arises from the bruised foliage has 

 earned for it the name of Stinking Box in some parts of the 

 district. 



Many fine specimens of the Blackwood, Acacia melanoxylon, 

 were seen. This tree prefers the deep shady valleys, and 

 specimens of over loo feet were not uncommon. Three cut 

 logs lying by the mill tram track measured 32, 36, and 40 feet 

 in length by rather more than two feet in diameter. 



The Cheesewood, Pittosporum bicolor, with fruit capsules 

 bursting and exposing conspicuous masses of sticky red seeds, 

 was frequently seen, generally growing from an old fern stem. 

 The Native Musk, Aster argophyllus, grows to a large size — one 

 stem measured thirty inches in diameter. The wood when cut 

 and polished greatly resembles bird's-eye maple. 



The Forests Branch of the Department of Agriculture has 



